Effect of the Presence and Type of Plate Augmentation on Postoperative Dysphagia Among Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Spondylosis: A Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of anterior plating on postoperative dysphagia (POD) among adult patients undergoing elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical spondylosis and determine the potential role of demographic and clinical characteristics in the development of POD. METHODS: Consecutive adults undergoing an elective, single-level, ACDF were randomly assigned to receive a stand-alone CoRoent Cage or a CoRoent Cage with a Helix, or Helix-Mini plate. Patients with a history of cervical spine surgery were excluded. M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory and Bazaz questionnaires were completed at regular intervals for 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were recruited over a 2-year period, with 8 allocated to receive a stand-alone cage, 5 to receive a cage and Helix Mini plate, and 12 to receive a cage and Helix plate. The POD rate was 68% at 48 hours, before falling to 16% at 6 and 12 months. A longer retraction time was observed in the Helix plate group compared to the stand-alone cage group (7.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.12–15.63; p = 0.046), although there was no difference in the incidence or severity of dysphagia between cohorts at any timepoint. With the exception of body mass index, there was no difference in patients with and without dysphagia, and each of the interventions was equally efficacious with respect to clinical and radiological endpoints. CONCLUSION: Dysphagia is a common consequence of ACDF and, while the placement of a large plate results in longer retraction time, it was not associated with higher rates of dysphagia. Further research is required to identify both patient-specific and surgical contributors to this complication.