Cervical anterior hybrid technique with bi-level Bryan artificial disc replacement and adjacent segment fusion for cervical myelopathy over three consecutive segments

• A newly developed cervical anterior hybrid technique was assessed in this study.
• At final follow-up, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were improved.
• Clinical outcomes were mostly rated as excellent or good (98/108 patients).
• Neck disability index (NDI) values were markedly decreased.
• These findings indicate good preliminary clinical outcome for the hybrid method.

This study aimed to assess the preliminary clinical efficacy and feasibility of the hybrid technique for multilevel cervical myelopathy. Considering the many shortcomings of traditional treatment methods for multilevel cervical degenerative myelopathy, hybrid surgery (bi-level Bryan artificial disc [Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Memphis, TN, USA] replacement and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion) should be considered. Between March 2006 and November 2012, 108 patients (68 men and 40 women, average age 45 years) underwent hybrid surgery. Based on the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Odom’s criteria, the clinical symptoms and neurological function before and after surgery were evaluated. Mean surgery duration was 90 minutes, with average blood loss of 30 mL. Mean follow-up duration was 36 months. At the final follow-up, the mean JOA (± standard deviation) scores were significantly higher compared with preoperative values (15.08 ± 1.47 versus 9.18 ± 1.22; P < 0.01); meanwhile, NDI values were markedly decreased (12.32 ± 1.03 versus 42.68 ± 1.83; P < 0.01). Using Odom’s criteria, the clinical outcomes were rated as excellent (76 patients), good (22 patients), fair (six patients), and poor (four patients). These findings indicate that the hybrid method provides an effective treatment for cervical myelopathy over three consecutive segments, ensuring a good clinical outcome.