Complications.
| Criteria | Group I (n = 192) | Group II (n = 112) | P Value |
| Intraoperative complications, n (%) | 2 (1%) | 6 (5.3%) | 0.031 |
| Dural tears | - | 2 | |
| Root injury | - | 1 | |
| Screws cut out intraoperatively | 2 | 3 | |
| Early postoperative complications, n (%) | 5 (2.6%) | 15 (13.4%) | 0.0004 |
| Intramuscular hematoma | 2 | 5 | |
| Surgical site infection | 1 | 3 | |
| Venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism | - | 1 | |
| С5 palsy | 2 | 6 | |
| Long-term postoperative complications, n (%) | 4 (2%) | 18 (16.1%) | <0.0001 |
| Adjacent level disc herniation | 2 | 3 | |
| Kyphotic deformity | - | 6 | |
| Failure of the stabilization | - | 2 | |
| Progression of symptoms due to inadequate decompression | - | 4 | |
| Noncompressive neurologic symptoms | 2 | 3 |