Biomechanical Analysis of the Cervical Spine Following Disc Degeneration, Disc Fusion, and Disc Replacement: A Finite Element Study.

Background: Discectomy and fusion is considered the "gold standard" treatment for clinical manifestations of degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine. However, clinical and biomechanical studies suggest that fusion may lead to adjacent-segment disease. Cervical disc arthroplasty preserves the motion at the operated level and may potentially decrease the occurrence of adjacent segment degeneration.

Biomechanical Analysis of Cervical Disc Replacement and Fusion Using Single Level, Two Level, and Hybrid Constructs.

Study Design: A biomechanical study comparing arthroplasty with fusion using human cadaveric C2-T1 spines.

Objective: To compare the kinematics of the cervical spine after arthroplasty and fusion using single level, 2 level and hybrid constructs.

Summary Of Background Data: Previous studies have shown that spinal levels adjacent to a fusion experience increased motion and higher stress which may lead to adjacent segment disc degeneration.

The effect of multi-level laminoplasty and laminectomy on the biomechanics of the cervical spine: a finite element study.

Laminectomy has been regarded as a standard treatment for multi-level cervical stenosis. Concern for complications such as kyphosis has limited the indication of multi-level laminectomy; hence it is often augmented with an instrumented fusion. Laminoplasty has emerged as a motion preserving alternative.

Effect of multilevel open-door laminoplasty and laminectomy on flexibility of the cervical spine: an experimental investigation.

Study Design: A biomechanical comparison of 2 commonly used posterior surgical procedures for spinal cord decompression in the cervical spine: laminoplasty (open door) and laminectomy.

Objective: To delineate differences in cervical motion after laminoplasty (2-level and multilevel) and laminectomy.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a common spinal cord disorder in persons aged 55 years or older.

Validation of a C2-C7 cervical spine finite element model using specimen-specific flexibility data.

This study presents a specimen-specific C2-C7 cervical spine finite element model that was developed using multiblock meshing techniques. The model was validated using in-house experimental flexibility data obtained from the cadaveric specimen used for mesh development. The C2-C7 specimen was subjected to pure continuous moments up to +/-1.