Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
Cloward dowels are mainly used in ACDF procedures to treat cervical disc herniation or degenerative disc disease. The dowels are inserted into the disc space after removing the damaged disc, providing structural support and promoting fusion between adjacent vertebrae. This is the primary and most common application.
- Seminal paper by Dr. Arthur L. Cloward that introduced the ACDF procedure and the use of bone dowels.
- In a prospective randomized study, the authors found that glycerol-preserved Cloward dowels demonstrated fusion outcomes and subsidence values comparable to freeze-dried Cloward dowels in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) procedures.