Table 1

Characteristics of studies focusing on surgery for cervical degenerative disease.

StudyType of StudyPatient Population/IndicationsRadiographic OutcomesSurgical OutcomesClinical OutcomesComplicationsLevel of EvidenceQuality of Evidence (GRADE)
Brenke et al 20156 Randomized controlled trial (n = 88)Patients undergoing ACDF for 1- or 2-level cervical pathology and absence of concomitant spinal diseaseCage subsidenceIModerate
Zhang et al 201916 Retrospective cohort (n = 42)Osteoporotic patients undergoing ACDF with the Zero-Profile device for symptomatic cervical degenerative disc diseaseCage subsidence; fusion rate;
change in cervical lordosis		Operative time; blood loss; hospital LOS; cost of surgeryJOA, NDI,
VAS, SF-36 PCS, and SF-36 MCS scores		Cervical soft tissue swelling; dysphagiaIIIVery low
Yan et al 201115 Retrospective cohort (n = 75)Osteoporotic patients undergoing anterior corpectomy and reconstruction for cervical spondylotic myelopathyCage subsidence; change in cervical lordosisJOA score
VAS score		IIIVery low
Ren at al. 2020a 13 Retrospective cohort (n = 295)Patients undergoing ACDF for cervical spondylotic diseaseCage nonunionIIILow
Bergin et al 2021a 8 Retrospective cohort (n = 326)Patients undergoing single-level ACDF utilizing OsteocelPseudarthrosisIIILow
Lee et al 2020a 11 Retrospective database (n = 85)Patients undergoing elective primary two-level ACDF for degenerative cervical disease causing radiculopathy or myelopathyPseudarthrosisIIILow
Wang et al 202014 Retrospective cohort (n = 91)Patients undergoing single-level ACDF with anterior plate fixation for degenerative cervical diseaseCage subsidenceIIILow
Ji et al 20209 Retrospective cohort (n = 73)Patients undergoing single-level anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion with the use of titanium mesh cageCage subsidenceIIILow
Lee et al 202210 Retrospective cohort (n = 40)Patients undergoing single-level ACDF using a stand-alone PEEK cageCage subsidenceIIILow
Opsenak et al 20197 Prospective cohort (n = 61)Patients undergoing microsurgical 1- or 2-level anterior cervical discectomy for cervical degenerative disc diseaseCage subsidenceIIVery low
Lee et al 201412 Retrospective cohort (n = 78)Patients undergoing single-level ACDF with neck pain and radiculopathyCage subsidenceIIILow
Guzman et al 201620 Retrospective administrative database analysis (n = 1,602,129)Patients with any cervical degenerative disc disease undergoing cervical spine surgeryHospital length of stay; cost of hospitalizationRevision surgery; wound complications; postoperative hemorrhageIIILow
Park et al 201621 Retrospective national database (n = 7948)Patients with degenerative cervical spondylotic radiculopathy or myelopathy undergoing discectomy with anterior fusion, corpectomy, laminectomy, with/without posterior fusion, or laminoplastyRevision surgeryIIILow
Park et al 201622 Retrospective national database (n = 9071)Patients with degenerative cervical spondylotic radiculopathy or myelopathy undergoing discectomy with anterior fusion, corpectomy, laminectomy with/without posterior fusion, or laminoplastyRevision surgeryIIILow
Veeravagu et al 201323 Retrospective administrative database (n = 28,777)Patients undergoing single- and multilevel ACDFRevision surgery Readmission
Any perioperative complication		IIILow
Rumalla et al 201724 Retrospective administrative database (n = 29,990)Patients undergoing elective posterior cervical spine surgery for degenerative conditionsReadmissionIIIVery low

  • Abbreviations: ACDF, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; JOA, Japanese Orthopedic Association; LOS, length of stay; MCS, mental component score; NDI, Neck Disability Index; PCS, physical component score; PEEK, polyether-ether-ketone; VAS, visual analog score.

  • ↵a Included in the meta-analysis portion of this study.