Comparison between cervical disc arthroplasty and conservative treatment for patients with single level cervical radiculopathy at C5/6.

Background: Cervical radiculopathy is a common disease that affects millions of people. Patients usually are managed by conservative therapy and surgical treatments.

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes between cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and conservative management for patients with single level cervical radiculopathy at C5/6.

Methods: Seventy-two patients with cervical radiculopathy that only affect C5/6 joints were included and thirty-two of them received CDA surgery, and forty patients were treated with conservative management. All the patients were followed up around 4 years. Cervical curvature, cervical range of motion (CROM), horizontal displacement of cervical spine, and intervertebral gap were measured by radiological examination.

Results: All the patients have comparable disease severity based on pre-surgical radiological assessments. At the 4-year follow-up examination, patients with CDA surgery had less CROM at C5/6 level, while greater CROM at C4/5 level, than control group. Similarly, the horizontal displacement in CDA group decreased at C5/6 vertebrae, and increased at C4/5 level at the 4-year follow-up examination. The intervertebral gaps of patients in CDA group were larger than control group at one-year and last follow-up examination.

Conclusion: CDA surgery stabilized C5/6 vertebrae and increased the CROM and horizontal displacement of upper adjacent C4/5 vertebrae.