Gandhi SD, Wahlmeier ST, Louie P, et al. - Via a case-control study of 42 individuals who received local retropharyngeal steroids during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF, the gold standard surgical intervention for cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy) surgery, experts investigated the impacts of retropharyngeal steroids on fusion rate in ACDF. On the basis of matching status and adequate follow-up, 121 individuals were examined. On the basis of age, spinal levels treated, and smoking status, the case, and control groups were prosperously matched. At 8 months following index operation, a single individual in the case group that acquired esophageal rupture and retropharyngeal abscess needing surgical intervention with irrigation, debridement, and repair was reported. Thus, the use of retropharyngeal steroids to decrease postoperative dysphagia was concluded to be correlated with a reduced rate of radiographic fusion in ACDF surgery.