Surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy

Cervical radiculopathy can be a disabling condition for patients. Pain, paresthesia, and motor deficit may occur. Although there are ample treatment options for these patients, surgery may be necessary. The goal of this article is to discuss the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy and outline surgical indications. Surgical options are discussed in detail. Anterior and posterior approaches will be reviewed along with the advantages of each. Hopefully this article enables the reader to look at cervical radiculopathy through the eyes of a surgeon and aid in determining appropriate care. Understanding the surgical anatomy may also allow a pain management specialist to focus his or her treatment directly on the offending pathology and optimize nonsurgical care, as well.