Stand-alone polyetheretherketone cages for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for successive four-level degenerative disc disease without plate fixation.

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy with fusion became the most frequently performed technique for the treatment of symptoms related to cervical disc prolapse. Multilevel anterior cervical discectomy has been combined with anterior cervical plate application to help maintain the cervical lordosis and enhance fusion. This was associated with more soft-tissue separation and retraction with increased incidence of surgically related complications and postoperative dysphagia.

Modified Interscalene Approach for Resection of Symptomatic Cervical Rib: Anatomic Review and Clinical Study.

Background: Cervical ribs have been reported to be present in about 0.5% of the general population, 10% of patients with cervical rib who are symptomatic usually have neurogenic symptoms, but some have arterial symptoms. In 1861, Coote was the first to excise a cervical rib through a supraclavicular approach and relieved the symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.