Anterior cervical discectomy without fusion for a symptomatic cervical disk herniation

BACKGROUND: Cervical radiculopathy is characterized by dysfunction of the nerve root usually caused by a cervical disk herniation. The most important symptom is pain, radiating from the neck to the arm. When conservative treatment fails, surgical treatment is indicated to relieve symptoms. During the last decades, multiple fusion techniques have been developed, although without clinical evidence for added value of fusion over non-fusion. METHODS: The surgical procedure of anterior cervical discectomy without fusion is performed step by step, leading to removal of the entire intervertebral disk. CONCLUSION: Anterior cervical discectomy without fusion is a safe and effective treatment for cervical disk herniation. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00701-017-3189-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.