## 3 Discussion  
The literature reports wide use of anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion with a variety of implants, including both static and expandable ones [4]. This procedure is an effective and safe option for treating degenerative disease of the cervical spine or traumatic cervical spine disorders. If performed correctly, it has a low rate of complications and revision surgery [5]. Expandable implants shorten surgical time, contribute to the achievement of appropriate vertebral height and restore balance in the sagittal axis [14]. Another study comparing clinical outcomes between static and expandable implants points to minimal risk of damage to vertebral endplates and, generally, points out the ability to restore near-anatomical spinal dimensions with expandable implants [15]. Achieving good implant placement is very much dependent on the choice of an appropriate implant size. In our patient, additional adjustments made it possible to precisely fit the implant to the adjacent vertebral bodies and, consequently, minimise the risk of inappropriate implant positioning [16]. The literature also indicates significant improvements in pain intensity and mobility in patients who received expandable cages [17]. These findings weighed on the operating team's decision to use a Cervical 3D Expandable cage, which, by virtue of adjustable height and angulation, allowed sufficient anterior column support and stability. Published reports suggest that multilevel corpectomy is an indication for using a fusion plate to ensure necessary support for the anterior spinal column. Another aspect of this procedure is the use of additional stabilisation placed from a posterior surgical approach. Research results are equivocal and indicate a number of factors that would weigh on a decision to use additional posterior stabilisation or not. Each case needs to be considered individually as indicated by the patient's overall health, neurological status and imaging results. We based our choice of the surgical technique on a detailed assessment of the CT appearances of bony structures, which indicated the presence of a stable posterior column and absence of subluxations of facet joints and the risk of additional complications from performing additional stabilisation surgery (and using an additional posterior approach) [4; 5; 17; 18]. Rheumatoid arthritis, which the patient had suffered from for a rather long time, is a significant risk factor for spinal deformities, often in the cervical segment, as in our patient. A chronic autoimmune condition affecting nearly 2% of the global population, RA contributes to damage to articular surfaces and, secondarily, to a significant deterioration of overall physical ability in patients [7; 19; 20]. In the case of our patient, considering the additional risk factors associated with RA and osteoporosis, such as increased risk of infection, intraoperative complications, implant-associated complications and the risk of revision surgery, the surgical team took the decision to perform the above-described procedures as they were indispensable for improving the patient's health status. This decision was based on published reports on degenerative disease of the spine developing via diverse mechanisms, including those associated with RA and osteoporosis, and the experience of the surgical team [4; 9; 12; 13; 21; 22]. Corpectomy with expandable implants is a preferred procedure in various spinal pathologies, such as spinal canal stenosis with spinal cord compression [23], fractures [24], spondylolscitis [25] and spinal metastases [26]. The main objective of this procedure is to remove the pathology and reconstruct the anterior spinal column while ensuring stability of the operated segment [17]. Some interesting clinical cases of patients operated on with this procedure are adduced below, accounting for various attending risk factors.