Comparison of the Clinical Efficacy of Two Reduction Methods for the Treatment of Irreducible Unilateral Subaxial Cervical Facet Joint Dislocation.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of the minimally invasive technique and the open method in the treatment of irreducible unilateral subaxial cervical facet joint dislocation (SCFD).

Methods: From March 2015 to September 2018, 62 patients with unilateral SCFD were studied. The cases were divided into 2 groups based on different surgery strategies. Thirty-one patients were enrolled in the minimally invasive surgery (MIS) group, and 31 patients were enrolled in the open surgery group. The duration of prone position operation, blood loss, and total hospitalization costs were recorded. The clinical effects were evaluated using visual analogue scale scores, the Oswestry Disability Index, and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores at each follow-up. In addition, the segmental Cobb angle and intervertebral height were recorded and compared.

Results: The amount of intraoperative blood loss, prone position operation duration, and total hospital costs in the MIS group were significantly lower than in the open surgery group. The visual analogue scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores of the 2 groups significantly improved after the operation. A satisfactory fusion rate was obtained in both groups, and the segmental Cobb angle and intervertebral height scores in both groups improved significantly.

Conclusions: Minimally invasive reduction had equal clinical efficacy to posterior open surgery. However, MIS was less invasive and had lower costs. Therefore, it is a potential option in the treatment of SCFD.