Cervical Disc Degeneration and Vertebral Endplate Defects After the Fused Operation

Study Design. Longitudinal study of cervical MR in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). Objective. To evaluate the evolution of the degenerative changes in the C2-D1 cervical segments and to assess the association magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters with clinical symptoms after surgical treatment in patients with DDD. Summary of Background Data. The evolution of degenerative changes in the cervical spine is poorly understood. Endplate defects can be of great importance in progressive disc degeneration (DD). Clarification of this predictor may be important in determining the treatment tactics in patients with DDD. Methods. The study included patients who had 2-years’ follow-up after cervical fusion for spondylotic radiculo- with/without myelopathy. Demographic data (age, sex, surgical data) were assessed; clinical data (visual analogue scale [VAS] neck, VAS arm, Neck Disability Index [NDI]) and cervical MRI (DD grades by Pfirrmann, Modic changes (MC), total endplate scores (TEPS) were compared to preoperative data. Results. The median follow-up term was 26.5 (18.9–33.1) months. All patients reported a decrease neck pain and arm pain at follow-up (P 
Source: Spine - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: CERVICAL SPINE Source Type: research