A Meta‐Analysis of Cost‐Effectiveness in Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease Treated With Cervical Disc Arthroplasty Versus Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD) occurs when there is deterioration of the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine and can cause extreme pain and disability. Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) are the two prominent surgical treatment options. There are a few meta-analyses that examine the cost-effectiveness of these two methods. This meta-analysis study seeks to provide a thorough overview of cost-effectiveness and postoperative complications between CDA and ACDF in the treatment of cervical DDD. Publication search was carried out on PubMed and Embase up until March 2025. Comparison studies that included the two treatment methods of interest and reported a cost analysis with complication metrics were included in this meta-analysis. Review Manager 5.4. was utilized for statistical analyses, and a p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Thirteen studies were included. Regarding the cost analysis, there was a significant difference in initial cost in favor of ACDF compared to CDA. As for the outcome metrics, there was a significant difference in reoperation as well as DVT/PE rates in favor of CDA. There was a significant difference in mean operative time in favor of ACDF. No other significant differences were found. ACDF appears to be a cost-effective option, while CDA offers advantages in certain complication metrics. Additional studies investigating the relationship between treatment costs and complications should be completed in order to solidify the superior treatment method for cervical DDD.