Young adults undergoing ACDF surgery exhibit decreased health-related quality of life in the long term in  comparison to the general population

The leading surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy is anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). However, it has been suggested that ACDF procedures could lead to accelerated degeneration of the adjacent cervical discs (adjacent segment disease, or ASD) and the effect of ACDF surgery on neck symptoms and quality of life in the long term is not fully understood. Patients operated on at young ages generally have a long life expectancy and a long number of working years ahead of them. Thus, this patient group is of special interest when considering the accumulation of cervical problems due to possible ASD, the overall progressive nature of cervical degeneration in the long term, and their effects on related quality of life.
Source: The Spine Journal - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Tags: Clinical Study Source Type: research