Bone mineral density in patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion effects on fusion and fixation

This study took place at Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine; Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic between September 2009 and June 2011. The aim of this study was to find out the relationship between the anterior cervical discectomy and its clinical and radiological outcome; and the relationship between bone mineral density and fusion. The mean follow-up time of this study including 23 patient (11 women and 12 men) was 14 months (42-69). The mean age was 54 (42-69). The fusion rates in patients with high bone mineral density were found to be better. We did not observe any negative effect of gender and smoking on fusion. None of the patients showed any sign of deep or superficial infection.We statistically analyzed the fusion rate, relationship between bone mineral density and fusion; between CAM, VAS scales, Ishihara index scores in pre-and postoperative at 1.3.6.12. months and functional results; between smoking, sex, length of interference screw and fusion in patients who underwent ACDF.15 patients underwent single-level (8 patients with C5-4, 7 patients with C5-6), 8 patients bi-level (3 patients with C3-4, 3 patients C4-5,, 2 patients with C5-6) anterior decompression, fusion and stabilization. The overall fusion rate was 95.6%. Bone mineral density in patients with fusion and delayed-or non-union was 0.93 ± 0.05 g/cm2 and 0.55 ± 0.05, respectively. Preoperative SF-36 physical function score was 47, whereas the post-operative was 77. Mean preoperative and postoperative Ishihara index score was 9.2 and 15.6, respectively. CAM index score was 45.7 before surgery, and 5.6 after surgery. All these values were statistically significant (P <0.05). There was no statistically significant relationship between fusion and smoking, gender and length of the interference screwConsistent with the literature, these early results showed that the anterior servical discectomy and fusion improve the clinical and radiological outcomes in appropriately selected group of patients. We observed statistically significant relationship between fusion and bone mineral density, which was not researched previously.