Stand-Alone Cage Verus Anterior Plating for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one the most common procedures performed by spine surgeons. Although ACDF with autologous bone graft and anterior plating is commonly performed, this procedure may be associated with postoperative dysphagia, significant costs and adjacent segment pathology. To address these concerns, a number of surgeons have opted to utilize an interbody cage in a stand-alone fashion with good to excellent results. However, the published data is limited and currently there in no consensus among spine surgeons regarding the best technique to achieve fusion and improve clinical outcomes in patients with degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine.