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Cervical Spine Fusion

Overview

Cervical Spine Fusion

When you have back or neck pain that isn’t responding to non-surgical treatments, cervical spinal fusion might be the answer. Fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon Ashraf Guirgues, MD specializes in performing spinal fusion using minimally invasive techniques and robotic surgery. They use advanced tissue-sparing approaches that few other practices offer, including lateral lumbar interbody fusion to relieve chronic back pain. Find out if you could benefit from the team’s expertise by calling the Morehead City, Swansboro, or Jacksonville, North Carolina, location, or use the online booking form today.

What is Cervical Spine Fusion?

Cervical spinal fusion (arthrodesis) is a surgery that joins selected bones in the neck (cervical spine). There are different methods of doing a cervical spinal fusion:

Bone can be taken from elsewhere in your body or obtained from a bone bank (a bone graft). The bone is used to make a bridge between vertebrae that are next to each other (adjacent). This bone graft stimulates the growth of new bone. Man-made (artificial) fusion materials may also be used.
Metal implants can be used to hold the vertebrae together until new bone grows between them.
Metal plates can be screwed into the bone, joining adjacent vertebrae.
An entire vertebra can be removed, and the spine then fused.
A spinal disc can be removed and the adjacent vertebrae fused.

This procedure can be done through an incision on the front (anterior) or back (posterior) of the neck.

When Would I Need Cervical Spine Fusion?

Often spinal fusion is needed to keep the spine stable after injury, infection, or a tumor.

When symptoms such as numbness or weakness in the arm suggest that a neck problem is causing a pinched nerve (radiculopathy), surgery may help you feel better faster. But it’s not clear that surgery is any better than non-surgical treatment in the long run. And research also suggests that a complex surgery that includes fusion is not better than a simpler surgery to take the pressure off the nerve.

If you have neck pain alone, with no signs of a pinched nerve, neck surgery will not help.

To find out more about relief of chronic back or neck pain and your options for cervical spinal fusion, call today or book an appointment online.

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Procedure Overview

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) is the most common cervical spine fusion procedure that Dr. Guirgues performs.

Approach: From the front of the neck

Procedure:

A herniated or damaged disc is removed.
A bone graft or synthetic spacer is placed in the disc space.
A metal plate and screws are used to hold the vertebrae in place while they fuse.

Before Cervical Spine Surgery

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Post Operative Restrictions After Cervical Spine Fusion

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