Abstract
Anterior decompression and fusion is the gold standard surgical technique for cervical spondylosis. In this paper, we mainly described surgical tips for the anterior approach using titanium cages that were utilized in our institute. A conventional anterior cervical approach is as follows : A transverse skin incision is performed. Sharp dissection within a triangle of sternocleidomastoid muscle and omohyoid muscle is accomplished. The longus colli muscles are dissected bilaterally by using bipolar cautery. Retractor blades are placed beneath the muscle. After removing the intervertebral disc, a high-speed diamond drill is used. Osteophytectomy is carried out with a curette. After removing the protruded disc and osteophyte, two titanium cages are inserted in parellel. Overall complications using the anterior approach for cervical spondylosis and OPLL is 4.7%. In this article, informed consent for treating cervical spondylosis is also described. We would like to stress that anterior interbody fusion using titanium cages is a highly useful surgical procedure for treating cervical spondylosis.
