A Comparative Study of Clinical Outcomes between ACCF and ACDF in Surgical Treatment of Patient with Cervical Degenerative Myelopathy using an Anterior Approach

Abstract

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive neurological disorder driven by spinal cord compression. Given the looming risk of paralysis, prompt surgical decompression remains vital to halt irreversible damage. This clinical study compared multi-level anterior surgeries utilizing two distinct approaches: anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with cages/plates versus anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) using artificial vertebral bodies. Out of 45 patients enrolled, 25 underwent ACDF and 20 received ACCF. Over a one-year follow-up, outcomes were tracked via VAS for pain, mJOA for myelopathy severity, and complication rates. Ultimately, both cohorts achieved significant clinical recovery, showing no statistically significant differences in their final scores. However, the ACDF group demonstrated clear surgical advantages, achieving significantly less blood loss, faster operative times, shorter hospital stays, and a lower incidence of complications than the ACCF cohort.