Anterior Cervical Disc Fusion Does not Affect the Presence of Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical spondylosis and cervical disk herniation are the most frequent forms of degenerative disease in the cervical spine. Surgical treatment mainly includes anterior cervical disk fusion. However, information concerning vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) recording in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery is limited. The present prospective study aimed to investigate the effect of anterior disk fusion surgery on cervical VEMP (cVEMP) parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients were enrolled in this study, and 20 patients (10 men and 10 women) completed cVEMP testing. Patient ages ranged from 29 to 76 y (mean, 52 y). Patients with conductive hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction were excluded. The cVEMP test was recorded preoperatively and 1 and 4 months postoperatively. Air-conducted tone-bursts of 500 Hz were used.

RESULTS: We found no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative cVEMP values.

CONCLUSION: Cervical spine surgery (anterior cervical disk fusion) for treating cervical spondylosis does not appear to affect the presence of cVEMP or the parameters of cVEMP, when using air-conducted tone-bursts of 500 Hz. Moreover, cVEMP testing can be used in the postoperative phase for evaluating vertigo in patients who have undergone anterior cervical disk fusion.