Multi-channel motor evoked potential monitoring during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion

OBJECTIVES: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery is the most common surgical procedure for the cervical spine with low complication rate. Despite the potential prognostic benefit, intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), a method for detecting impending neurological compromise, is not routinely used in ACDF surgery. The present study aimed to identify the potential benefits of monitoring multi-channel motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during ACDF surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 200 consecutive patients who received IONM with multi-channel MEPs and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs). On average, 9.2 muscles per patient were evaluated under MEP monitoring. RESULTS: The rate of MEP change during surgery in the multi-level ACDF group was significantly higher than the single-level group. Two patients from the single-level ACDF group (1.7%) and four patients from the multi-level ACDF group (4.9%) experienced post-operative motor deficits. Multi-channel MEPs monitoring during single and multi-level ACDF surgery demonstrated higher sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive value than SSEP monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: Multi-channel MEP monitoring might be beneficial for the detection of segmental injury as well as long tract injury during single- and multi-level ACDF surgery. SIGNIFICANCE: This is first large scale study to identify the usefulness of multi-channel MEPs in monitoring ACDF surgery.