History of Trauma Preceding Cervical Disc Replacement Leads to Worse Postoperative Patient Reported Outcomes: A Matched Cohort Analysis

Study Design Single-center retrospective cohort study. Objectives To investigate whether a history of minor cervical trauma is associated with worse postoperative outcomes following CDR. Methods Patients who underwent primary one- or two-level CDR from 2017 to 2023 by multiple surgeons at a single institution were included. Minor cervical trauma was defined as an event likely to affect the cervical spine but not requiring immediate surgical intervention. Trauma patients were matched 1:3 to controls based on age, sex, number of operated levels, and surgeon. PROMs at early (2–12 weeks) and late (6–24 months) timepoints, along with perioperative variables, were compared. Results Of 308 CDR patients, 43 had a history of minor cervical trauma. After matching, the trauma (n = 43) and non-trauma (n = 129) cohorts were demographically similar. The trauma group had significantly worse NDI (early: 33.6 vs. 22.5, P = .005; late: 28.4 vs. 19.1, P = .023), SF-12 PCS, SF-12 MCS, and PROMIS-PF scores. No differences were found in operative time, blood loss, length of stay, or complication rates. Conclusions Minor cervical trauma is associated with significantly worse postoperative disability and physical function following CDR, despite similar perioperative courses and complication rates.