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Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background/aim: Anomalous nerve roots (ANRs) are well described in the lumbosacral spine but are rarely reported in the cervical region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical characteristics, and surgical outcomes of cervical ANRs, with particular emphasis on conjoined nerve roots, in a single-center clinical series.

Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients who underwent posterior cervical discectomy for cervical disc herniation at our institution between 2010 and 2025. A total of 113 posterior cervical procedures were performed, and seven patients were found to have surgically confirmed cervical ANRs. For these patients, demographic data, clinical presentation, radiological findings, intraoperative observations, and postoperative outcomes were reviewed. Surgical interventions included posterior cervical microdiscectomy and endoscope-assisted discectomy.

Results: Among the 113 patients who underwent posterior cervical discectomy, cervical ANRs were identified intraoperatively in seven patients, yielding an incidence rate of 6.19%. These patients included four women (57.1%) and three men (42.9%), with a mean age of 46.0 years (range: 35–54 years). Motor deficits were observed in five patients (71.4%) and sensory deficits were present in four patients (57.1%). Radiologically, cervical disc herniation was identified in all cases, most frequently at the C6–C7 level (71.4%).

Conclusion: Cervical ANRs are rare yet likely underrecognized anatomical variants that can pose diagnostic and intraoperative challenges. Awareness of their potential presence, careful preoperative imaging evaluation, and meticulous surgical technique are essential to minimize complications and optimize surgical outcomes.

Author ORCID Identifier

AHMET EREN SEÇEN: 0000-0003-2185-020X

AYFER ASLAN: 0000-0002-5413-7833

MUSA ÖZBAKIR: 0000-0003-1122-0984

UĞUR GÜNDÜZ: 0000-0001-7056-3237

ALİ DALGIÇ: 0000-0003-1000-2811

DOI

10.55730/1300-0144.6353

Keywords

Anomalous nerve root, cervical spine, conjoined nerve root, posterior cervical surgery

First Page

1096

Last Page

1104

Publisher

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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