Financial Aspects of Cervical Disc Arthroplasty: A Narrative Review of Recent Literature

Abstract

Recently, there is significant interest in understanding the cost-effectiveness of treatments in spine surgery as healthcare systems in the United States move towards value-based care and alternative payment models. Previous studies have demonstrated comparable outcomes of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy fusion (ACDF); however, there is a lack of consensus on the cost-effectiveness of CDA to support full adoption. Limitations of these cost-analysis studies also exist in the literature including industry-funding, potential selection bias, and varying methods of calculating value. The goal of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the cost-effectiveness of CDA compared to ACDF and potential limitations with cost-analysis studies in spine surgery.