Background: Implant subsidence is recognized as a complication of interbody stabilization, although its relevance remains ambiguous, particularly in terms of relating the effect of the position and depth of subsidence on the clinical outcome of the procedure. This study aimed to evaluate how implant positioning and size influence the incidence and degree of subsidence and to examine their implications for clinical outcomes.
Methods: An observational study of 94 patients (157 levels) who underwent ACDF was conducted. Radiological parameters (implant position, implant height, vertebral body height, segmental height and intervertebral height) were assessed. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI). Subsidence was evaluated in groups according to its degree, and statistical analyses were performed.
Results: The findings revealed that implant-to-endplate ratio and implant height were significant risk factors associated with the incidence and degree of subsidence. The incidence of subsidence varied as follows: 34 cases (41.5%) exhibited displacement of the implant into the adjacent endplate by 2-3 mm, 32 cases (39%) by 3-4 mm, 16 cases (19.5%) by ≥4 mm and 75 (47.8%) cases exhibited no subsidence.
Conclusions: The findings underscore that oversized or undersized implants relative to the disc space or endplate length elevate the risk and severity of subsidence.
Keywords: ACDF; cervical; degenerative; disc; intervertebral; spine; spondylodesis; subsidence.