Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion （颈椎前路椎间盘摘除和融合）.pdf

Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion Overview Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a surgery to remove a herniated or degenerative disc in the neck. An incision is made in the throat area to reach the front of the spine. The disc is removed and a graft is inserted to fuse together the bones above and below the disc. ACDF surgery may be recommend if physical therapy or medications fail to relieve your neck or arm pain caused by pinched spinal nerves. Patients typically go home the same day; recovery time takes 4 weeks. What is an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)? Discectomy literally means cutting out the disc. A discectomy can be performed anywhere along the spine from the neck (cervical) to the low back (lumbar). The surgeon reaches the damaged disc from the front (anterior) of the spine through the Figure 1. (top view of vertebra) Degenerative disc disease throat area. By moving aside the neck muscles, causes the discs to dry out. Tears in the disc annulus can trachea, and esophagus, the disc and bony allow the gel-filled nucleus material to escape and vertebrae are exposed. Surgery from the front of compress the spinal cord causing numbness and the neck is more accessible than from the back weakness. Bone spurs may develop which can lead to a (posterior) because the disc can be reached without narrowing of the nerve root canal (foraminal stenosis). The pinched spinal nerve becomes swollen and painful. disturbing the spinal cord, spinal nerves, and the strong neck muscles. Depending on your particular symptoms, one disc (single-level) or more (multi- level) may be removed. After the disc is removed, the space between the The disadvantage is the pain in your hipbone bony vertebrae is empty. To prevent the vertebrae