Objective: Ventral cervical plates are used to increase the immediate postoperative rigidity of the spine after decompressive and reconstructive procedures. The evidence supporting this practice is reviewed.
Methods: A computerized literature search of the database of the National Library of Medicine was conducted using PubMed. All relevant articles were reviewed and a critique was performed to explore the utility of ventral cervical plating.
Results: Several randomized controlled trials of ventral cervical discectomy versus ventral cervical discectomy and fusion were identified. Three randomized controlled trials that included a differentiation between anterior cervical decompression and fusion, with and without plating, were identified. Many retrospective series, technical reports, and topical reviews were also identified.
Conclusion: There is little support in the literature for the medical usefulness of ventral cervical plates after single-level cervical fusion. There may, however, be a cost-benefit advantage to the use of such devices. In multilevel procedures and in the setting of traumatic instability, there seems to be an advantage to the use of cervical plates.