Clinical and radiological outcomes of stand-alone cage versus anterior plating in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for cervical disc prolapse – A Comparative Study

Cervical disc prolapse is common in adults under 50 years and may cause radiculopathy or myelopathy. When conservative management fails, Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) is the preferred surgical procedure.

Fusion can be achieved by either anterior cervical plating or a stand alone cage. Plating provides rigid fixation and reduces micromotion but carries risks of plate/screw failure and esophageal irritation. Stand alone cages minimize soft tissue retraction and are claimed to provide similar biomechanical stability.

However, there is no consensus on which method offers superior clinical and radiological outcomes. This study aims to compare the two techniques.