Abstract

We reviewed our surgical treatment of chronic axial cervical pain over a 4-year period to determine whether surgery in selected cases was associated with favorable outcomes.We retrospectively studied 27 consecutive cases (20 patients with follow-up) of longstanding axial cervical spine pain treated surgically by a single surgeon from June 1994 through August 1998. Diagnostic workup included the following when appropriate: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) with interview, provocative diskography (with a nonpainful control level), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and diagnostic facet injection. Twenty patients (74%) responded to a postoperative telephone survey.For general outcome measures, 85% of patients reported satisfaction with pain relief and surgical result. Ninety-five percent stated they would repeat the procedure; 85% manifested improvement in Prolo score.Surgical treatment of chronic axial neck pain, when preceded by thorough evaluation, can yield excellent clinical results.

View details for Web of Science ID 000169600400004

View details for PubMedID 11440327