How ACDF Is Performed: 2 Different Patient Cases

Two patients, the same diagnosis, the same surgery, two different implants. In this video I walk through how we decide. Tim and Kevin both came to me in their mid-60s with cervical myelopathy, a pinched spinal cord at C4-5, and both needed an ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy and fusion). But Tim got a standalone cage and Kevin got a plated ACDF, and the reasons why are what this case study is about. What you'll learn: The difference between a standalone and a plated ACDF, and why bone quality often decides which one we use What a T2 signal change (myelomalacia) means on a neck MRI, and why it can signal permanent spinal cord damage Why catching cervical myelopathy earlier tends to mean a better recovery Why two reasonable surgeons can look at the same imaging and operate differently Chapters: 0:00 Two patients, the same diagnosis 0:27 Tim's case: symptoms and MRI findings 2:55 Why we check bone quality on CT 3:23 Tim's standalone ACDF 4:21 How we confirm a fusion 5:31 Tim's recovery 6:08 Kevin's case: a similar scan with one key difference 7:46 What a T2 signal change (myelomalacia) means 8:39 Kevin's plated ACDF 10:15 Kevin's recovery and why it differs 10:46 Why symptom duration matters 11:20 Why this happens to some patients To learn more or to schedule a consultation, visit drlovecchio.com.