Objetivo Comparar a mediano y largo plazo los resultados quirúrgicos postoperatorios, sobre todo la tasa del síndrome adyacente, tasa de eventos adversos y tasa de reoperación, de los pacientes operados con artroplastia cervical o artrodesis cervical anterior en los ensayos clínicos aleatorizados (ECA) publicados de un nivel cervical.
Métodos Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis. Se seleccionaron 13 ECA. Se analizaron los resultados clínicos, radiológicos y quirúrgicos, tomando como variables primarias la tasa del síndrome adyacente, tasa de eventos adversos y tasa de reoperación.
Resultados Fueron 2.963 los pacientes analizados. El grupo de artroplastia cervical mostró una menor tasa de síndrome adyacente superior (p<0,001), menor tasa de reoperación (p<0,001), menor dolor radicular (p=0,002) y una mejor puntuación en el índice de discapacidad cervical (p=0,02) y en el componente físico SF-36 (p=0,01). No se encontraron diferencias significativas en la tasa del síndrome adyacente inferior, tasa de eventos adversos, dolor cervical ni componente mental SF-36. Se halló en la artroplastia cervical un rango de movilidad medio de 7,91 grados en el seguimiento final y una tasa de osificación heterotópica de 9,67%.
Conclusión En el seguimiento a mediano y largo plazo, la artroplastia cervical mostró menor tasa de síndrome adyacente superior y menor tasa de reintervención. No se hallaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la tasa del síndrome adyacente inferior ni en la tasa de eventos adversos.
Objective To compare medium- and long-term postoperative surgical results, especially the adjacent syndrome rate, adverse event rate, and reoperation rate, of patients operated on with cervical arthroplasty or anterior cervical arthrodesis in published randomized clinical trials (RCTs), at one cervical level.
Methods Systematic review and meta-analysis. Thirteen RCTs were selected. The clinical, radiological and surgical results were analyzed, taking the adjacent syndrome rate and the reoperation rate as the primary objective of the study.
Results Two thousand nine hundred and sixty three patients were analyzed. The cervical arthroplasty group showed a lower rate of superior adjacent syndrome (P<0.001), lower reoperation rate (P<0.001), less radicular pain (P=0.002), and a better score of neck disability index (P=0.02) and SF-36 physical component (P=0.01). No significant differences were found in the lower adjacent syndrome rate, adverse event rate, neck pain scale, or SF-36 mental component. A range of motion of 7.91 degrees was also found at final follow-up, and a heterotopic ossification rate of 9.67% in patients with cervical arthroplasty.
Conclusion In the medium and long-term follow-up, cervical arthroplasty showed a lower rate of superior adjacent syndrome and a lower rate of reoperation. No statistically significant differences were found in the rate of inferior adjacent syndrome or in the rate of adverse events.