Our surgical results with anterior cervical corpectomy and iliac graft fusion

Abstract

Aim: Our aim in this study is to show that an autologous graft taken for fusion after cervical corpectomy is an extremely reliable, inexpensive, and physiological method for creating a fusion. Material and Methods: Thirty patients who were operated on in our clinic between 2015 and 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. Results: In our study, 13 of 30 patients were male and 17 were female. The mean age was 54.8 years. A one-level corpectomy was performed in 23 patients and a two-level corpectomy in seven patients. An iliac graft was placed in the distance, and a plate was placed on one lower and one upper level of the corpectomy vertebrae. Thirty patients who underwent iliac grafts were followed for 2 years. Dysphagia developed in three patients, wound infection developed in three patients, and subcutaneous hematoma developed in two patients. The mean preop lordosis angle of the patients was 9.5, and the mean in the 2nd postoperative year was 14. The preoperative JOA score of the patients was 9, and in the 2nd postoperative year, it was 13.9. Preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) of the patients was 5.9, in the 2nd postoperative year, it was 1.6. Discussion: An autologous graft is physiological and inexpensive, and infection, foreign body reaction, and poor fusion are less common. When fusion does not occur, catastrophic complications such as stenosis or injuries to the esophagus, trachea, or great vessels may occur. An autogenous graft is the gold standard for fusion.