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RF90#172

Rapid Fire

What Makes a Difference? Return to Driving after Cervical Disc Replacement

Jung Hahn Yong1†, Eugene Wang2†, Lilin Lin1, Reuben Chee Cheong Soh1

1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 2Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore

This study compares cervical spine range of motion (ROM) and patient reported outcomes against Neck Disability Index (NDI)-driving scores pre- and post-artificial disc replacement (ADR). Patients with cervical radiculopathy or myeloradiculopathy who underwent ADR and were primary drivers were identified. Outcomes including cervical spine ROM, visual analogue scale (VAS) neck pain, VAS limb pain, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were measured pre-operatively and 6 months post-operatively. Spearman’s rho was used to assess the correlation of the outcomes against NDI-driving scores. Subgroup analysis was performed between the radiculopathy and myeloradiculopathy subgroups. Patients were also consulted at 3 weeks post-operatively to assess their function and wound. 153 patients were included. At 6 months, cervical spine ROM was preserved, with significant reductions in lateral flexion (LF) (left LF MD 2.98°, p<0.001; right LF MD 2.81°, p<0.001). VAS neck pain improved significantly (MD 3.53, p<0.001), exceeding the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 2.6, while VAS limb pain improved overall (MD 3.60, p<0.001) but did not meet the MCID (4.1) except in the radiculopathy subgroup. In myeloradiculopathy patients, JOA scores improved by 2.02 points (p<0.001) but did not exceed the MCID of 2.5. Spearman’s correlation showed no moderate or strong associations between the studied outcomes and NDI-driving scores, and no significant differences were found between radiculopathy and myeloradiculopathy groups. At 2 weeks post-operatively, all patients had confidently returned to driving. Patients with cervical radiculopathy and myeloradiculopathy who undergo ADR can safely return to driving 2 weeks post-operatively.

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