Discectomía y fusión cervical anterior a tres niveles con auto y aloinjerto

The technique was the same in all cases: a standard left anteromedial approach to the cervical spine. The intervertebral discs were removed. All patients had burring of the end plates, 2 mm distraction and countersinking of the grafts by 2 mm from the anterior vertebral border. The autologous bone graft was tricortical and was harvested from the iliac crest using a low speed oscillating saw. The allograft used was fresh frozen, vacuum sealed cancellous chips and putty. An anterior cervical titanium plate was selected with variable angle locked screws. Clinical and radiographic data at 1 and 2 years postoperatively were obtained. Clinical outcome was assessed on 1 and 2 year follow-up and rated according to the Odom criteria. Fusion was achieved in 18 (94%) of the iliac crest group and 12 (71%) of the PEEK cage-allograft group. 1 patient in the iliac crest group and 5 in the cage-allograft group developed nonunions. Clinical outcome at 2 years was excellent in 5, good in 12 and fair in 2 patients of the iliac crest group. On the cage-allograft group it was excellent in 3, good in 13 and fair in 1. The 5 nonunions had good clinical outcome and 1 fair. We concluded that although autograft is the gold standard for 3 level ACDF, the use of allograft has the same functional status irrespective of the higher number of pseudarthrosis. The decision to use an autograft or a cage and an allograft for ACDF is therefore based mainly on personal preferences.