Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Advance Online Publication
    • Archive
  • About Us
    • About ISASS
    • About the Journal
    • Author Instructions
    • Editorial Board
    • Reviewer Guidelines & Publication Criteria
  • More
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
  • Join Us
  • Reprints & Permissions
  • Sponsored Content
  • Other Publications
    • ijss

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
International Journal of Spine Surgery
  • My alerts
International Journal of Spine Surgery

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Advance Online Publication
    • Archive
  • About Us
    • About ISASS
    • About the Journal
    • Author Instructions
    • Editorial Board
    • Reviewer Guidelines & Publication Criteria
  • More
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
  • Join Us
  • Reprints & Permissions
  • Sponsored Content
  • Follow ijss on Twitter
  • Visit ijss on Facebook
Research ArticleCervical Spine

Radiographic Measures of Spinal Alignment Are Not Predictive of the Development of C5 Palsy Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Surgery

Andrew M. Sinensky, Ian D. Kaye, William T. Li, Scott C. Wagner, Joseph S. Butler, Arjun S. Sebastian, Patrick B. Morrissey, Gregory D. Schroeder, Christopher Kepler, Alexander R. Vaccaro and Alan S. Hilibrand
International Journal of Spine Surgery April 2021, 15 (2) 213-218; DOI: https://doi.org/10.14444/8029
Andrew M. Sinensky
1Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BS
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ian D. Kaye
2Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
William T. Li
1Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BS
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Scott C. Wagner
3Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Joseph S. Butler
4National Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Arjun S. Sebastian
5Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Patrick B. Morrissey
2Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Gregory D. Schroeder
2Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Christopher Kepler
2Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Alexander R. Vaccaro
2Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MD, MBA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Alan S. Hilibrand
MD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

ABSTRACT

Background: Postoperative C5 palsy is a common complication following cervical decompression, occurring more frequently after posterior-based procedures. It has been theorized that this is the result of C5 nerve stretch resulting from spinal cord drift with these procedures. As such, it is thought to be less common after anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF). However, no consensus has been reached on its true etiology. The purpose of this study is to assess the rate of C5 palsy following ACDF and to determine whether any radiographic or demographic parameters were predictive of its development.

Methods: Two hundred and twenty-six patients who received ACDF between September 2015 and September 2016 were reviewed, and 122 were included in the final analysis. Patient demographic, surgical, and radiographic data were analyzed, including preoperative and postoperative radiographic and motor examination results. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables between independent groups, and Fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical variables between groups.

Results: Seven patients developed a C5 palsy in the postoperative period, an incidence rate of 5.7%. Among the radiographic parameters evaluated, there were no statistically significant differences between the C5 palsy and nonpalsy groups. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in age, patient sex, or numbers of vertebral levels fused between groups.

Conclusions: Ultimately, we did not identify any statistically significant demographic or radiographic predictive factors for the development of C5 palsy following ACDF surgery.

Level of Evidence: 3.

  • C5 palsy
  • ACDF
  • anterial cervical discectomy and fusion
  • spine
  • orthopedic
  • palsy
  • surgery
  • cervical
  • radiographic
  • demographic

Footnotes

  • Disclosures and COI: None of the authors have any conflicts of interest, and no outside funding was received for this work.

  • This manuscript is generously published free of charge by ISASS, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. Copyright © 2021 ISASS
View Full Text
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

International Journal of Spine Surgery
Vol. 15, Issue 2
1 Apr 2021
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author

Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on International Journal of Spine Surgery.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Radiographic Measures of Spinal Alignment Are Not Predictive of the Development of C5 Palsy Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Surgery
(Your Name) has sent you a message from International Journal of Spine Surgery
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the International Journal of Spine Surgery web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Radiographic Measures of Spinal Alignment Are Not Predictive of the Development of C5 Palsy Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Surgery
Andrew M. Sinensky, Ian D. Kaye, William T. Li, Scott C. Wagner, Joseph S. Butler, Arjun S. Sebastian, Patrick B. Morrissey, Gregory D. Schroeder, Christopher Kepler, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Alan S. Hilibrand
International Journal of Spine Surgery Apr 2021, 15 (2) 213-218; DOI: 10.14444/8029

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Radiographic Measures of Spinal Alignment Are Not Predictive of the Development of C5 Palsy Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Surgery
Andrew M. Sinensky, Ian D. Kaye, William T. Li, Scott C. Wagner, Joseph S. Butler, Arjun S. Sebastian, Patrick B. Morrissey, Gregory D. Schroeder, Christopher Kepler, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Alan S. Hilibrand
International Journal of Spine Surgery Apr 2021, 15 (2) 213-218; DOI: 10.14444/8029
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • ABSTRACT
    • INTRODUCTION
    • MATERIALS AND METHODS
    • RESULTS
    • DISCUSSION
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • Footnotes
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Innovation and Adversity in Spine Surgery: A Retrospective
  • Cervical Myelopathy Secondary to Bilateral Atlantoaxial Pseudoarticulations in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report
  • Incidence of Traumatic Spinal Injury Following Public Policy Update on Moped Usage in South Carolina
Show more Cervical Spine

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • C5 palsy
  • ACDF
  • anterial cervical discectomy and fusion
  • spine
  • orthopedic
  • palsy
  • surgery
  • cervical
  • radiographic
  • demographic

Content

  • Current Issue
  • Latest Content
  • Archive

More Information

  • About IJSS
  • About ISASS
  • Privacy Policy

More

  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Feedback

Other Services

  • Author Instructions
  • Join ISASS
  • Reprints & Permissions

© 2025 International Journal of Spine Surgery

International Journal of Spine Surgery Online ISSN: 2211-4599

Powered by HighWire