2018 AAOS Annual Meeting: The Impact of Local Steroid Application on Dysphagia Following an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Results of a Prospectively, Randomized, Single Blind Trial

104 patients scheduled for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion were randomized to intraoperative local administration of either steroid or saline. Patients were assessed for self-reported swallowing function and radiographic prevertebral swelling and tracheal air window diameter after 6 weeks and 12 weeks postoperatively. Results demonstrated no significant differences between groups in the change in any of the three outcome measures after 6 or 12 weeks.