Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Nov 6, 2020; 8(21): 5284-5295
Published online Nov 6, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i21.5284
Anterior bone loss after cervical disc replacement: A systematic review
Xiao-Fei Wang, Yang Meng, Hao Liu, Ying Hong, Bei-Yu Wang
Xiao-Fei Wang, Yang Meng, Hao Liu, Bei-Yu Wang, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Ying Hong, Department of Anesthesia and Operation Center/West China School of Nursing, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Liu H designed the research; Wang XF and Meng Y performed the research; Wang XF and Meng Y analyzed the data; Wang XF wrote the paper; Liu H, Wang BY and Hong Y supervised the paper; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by West China Nursing Discipline Development Special Fund Project, Sichuan University, No. HXHL19016; and 1.3.5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. ZYJC18029.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hao Liu, MD, PhD, Professor, Surgeon, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. dr.liuhao6304@yahoo.com
Received: May 6, 2020
Peer-review started: May 6, 2020
First decision: August 23, 2020
Revised: September 5, 2020
Accepted: September 16, 2020
Article in press: September 16, 2020
Published online: November 6, 2020
Processing time: 184 Days and 1.6 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Anterior bone loss (ABL) after cervical disc replacement (CDR) has attracted considerable concern in recent years. Whether ABL is a radiological anomaly or a complication remains unknown.

Research motivation

Several studies have reported the prevalence, impacts, and outcomes of ABL. However, an overall understanding of ABL is lacking.

Research objectives

This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate ABL after CDR.

Research methods

A systematic review was performed according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews guideline.

Research results

The prevalence of ABL ranges from 3.13% to 91.89%, and multilevel surgery may be one of the risk factors for ABL. ABL occurred within 6 mo postoperatively and stopped after 1 year. Severe cases may result in kyphosis, implant subsidence, and neck pain.

Research conclusions

ABL is a common condition after CDR. ABL should be considered a complication after CDR due to its clinical impacts.

Research perspectives

Further studies should clarify the relationship between ABL and adjacent segment degeneration. Further studies on the mechanism and risk factors for ABL are needed. The method used to measure ABL should be improved.