Table 4.
Risk Factors for Postoperative RLN Injury
| Parameter | OR | 95% CI | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 1.935 | 0.662–5.655 | 0.228 |
| Older age | 1.011 | 0.974–1.049 | 0.555 |
| Higher BMI | 1.118 | 0.999–1.250 | 0.051 |
| Previous ACDF surgery | 8.933 | 0.760–105.074 | 0.082 |
| Fused level | |||
| C3-C4 | – | – | – |
| C4-C5 | 0.528 | 0.167–1.663 | 0.275 |
| C5-C6 | 2.889 | 0.757–11.027 | 0.121 |
| C6-C7 | 2.700 | 0.912–7.997 | 0.073 |
| No. of fused levels | |||
| 2 | 2.007 | 0.627–6.425 | 0.240 |
| 3 | 1.083 | 0.196–5.993 | 0.927 |
| Longer operative time | 0.997 | 0.991–1.003 | 0.400 |
| Retractor time >70 minutes | 8.177 | 1.020–65.578 | 0.048 |
| Retractor time <70 minutes | 0.122 | 0.015–0.981 | 0.048 |
| Blood loss >75 mL | 0.417 | 0.132–1.311 | 0.134 |
RLN, recurrent laryngeal nerve; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; BMI, body mass index; ACDF, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.