Cervical Fusion
If the patient condition involves instability of the spine and the excessive motion cause pain, fusion may be an option recommended by your surgeon.
Fusion is a surgical technique performed since the late 1950’s.  Although there are many different techniques to perform fusion, the objective is to eliminate motion in the vertebral segment and thus eliminate pain. In the standard procedure, a bone graft is placed between the two vertebrae. This practice speeds up the healing process (similar to a fracture healing), allowing the two vertebrae to grow together (or fuse).
The fusion may be also obtained with the aid of instruments such as cages, plates, screws and rods to keep the spine stable until the actual fusion occurs.
Below are listed the main kind of fusions that are generally performed, divided for the spine areas: cervical and thoraco-lumbar

Posterior cervical fusion
The posterior cervical fusion is generally performed in case of instability of the spine, to stabilize the spine after fracture or to correct spinal deformity avoiding worsening of the condition.

Surgery: the steps

1. Your surgeon will perform an incision on the back of the neck (posterior approach)
2. A bone graft (not online yet) will be placed between the vertebrae
3. Depending on the specific conditions of the patients, it would be possible to use plates, screws and rods to keep the spine stable until the healing process occurs.

Anterior cervical interbody fusion
The anterior approach (from the front) is the most common to treat conditions related to the cervical spine.

Surgery: the steps

1. Your surgeon will perform an incision on the front of the neck
2. The disc will be removed accurately
3. Bone graft or an implant is placed in between the two vertebrae
4. The fusion process is helped with the aid of a device inserted between the two vertebrae (such as a cage)