Disk Replacement vs. Fusion: Who Gets Back to Work Faster?

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Spoiler: It’s not the guy with a plate and screws.

A new systematic review and meta-analysis in Spine (August 15, 2025) puts anterior cervical disk replacement (CDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in a head-to-head return-to-work (RTW) cage match. And spoiler alert: the disk replacement crew clocked in earlier. The review is titled: “Return to Work After Anterior Cervical Disk Replacement Versus Fusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.”