Anterior Cervical Spondylosis Surgical Interventions are Associated with Improved Lordosis and Neurological Outcomes at Latest Follow up: A Meta-analysis

Aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cervical spondylosis surgery on cervical lordosis and to identify factors affecting the change by latest follow-up. Literature search was carried out in electronic databases and study selection followed a priori eligibility criteria. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate effect size/s of change in lordosis after surgery (at latest follow-up) and metaregression analyses were performed to identify factors affecting this change. Nineteen studies (1845 patients; age 55.18 [95% CI: 54.78, 55.57] years; 60.99 [60.63, 61.36] % males; follow-up 25.59 [25.20, 25.99] months) were included. Whereas, corpectomy (4.06 [2.65, 5.46] degree; p < 0.00001) and discectomy (4.59 [2.07, 7.11] degree; p < 0.00001) were associated with increase, laminectomy (−1.87 [−8.40, 4.66] degree; p = 0.57) and laminoplasty (0.25 [−1.07, 1.56] degree; p = 0.711) were not associated with significant change in lordosis at latest follow-up. Change in Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA)/modified JOA (mJOA) score at latest follow-up was also significantly (p = 0.0005) higher in anterior than in posterior surgery group. Change in lordosis at latest follow-up had significant positive relationship with follow-up duration but had significant inverse associations with age, male gender, and preoperative JOA/mJOA score, independently. In posterior surgery subjects, after adjusting for age and gender, preoperative JOA/mJOA score was significantly inversely related to change in lordosis.