World Neurosurg. 2022 Feb 19:S1878-8750(22)00213-3. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.02.066. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The emergence of C8 radiculopathy is a known complication following cervicothoracic osteotomies. However, the clinical profile of C8 radiculopathy is not well understood.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the rate of C8 radiculopathy following cervicothoracic osteotomies and to form a clinical profile describing the characteristics through a systematic review of the literature to date.
METHODS: An electronic database search for full-text English articles was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The search yielded results on indications for cervicothoracic osteotomies, surgical approaches, mean follow-up time, and significant complications, including C8 radiculopathy.
RESULTS: Our literature search resulted in 2,135 articles, of which 12 studies qualified to be included in the analysis. From the 12 articles, 451 patients across various osteotomy approaches were included. The mean age of subjects was 51.0 years (ranging from 11.4 to 63.2 years), and the majority of patients were males (66%, n = 298). Ankylosing spondylitis was the most frequent indication for surgery (44.8%, n = 202). The number of patients with post-operative C8 radiculopathy was found to be decreasing over time (1997-2020) by showing statistical significance (r=-0.65; p=0.021) CONCLUSION: There were 53 patients from the 451 total patient population with C8 radiculopathy (11.8% of the total patient population). Moreover, the rate of C8 radiculopathy decreased over time in a statistically significant manner. An understanding of the factors associated with the incidence of C8 radiculopathy is essential for the future improvement of patient outcomes.
PMID:35192973 | DOI:10.1016/j.wneu.2022.02.066
