Anterior Cervical Fusion

Posterior lumbar arthrodesis is a type of cervical spinal arthrodesis and is performed in a minimally invasive way to treat vertebral discs that present some pathology.

The arthrodesis treatment is applied to correct certain spinal pathologies, such as cervical fractures and other injuries that cause cervical pain to the patient. Some examples are cervical degenerative discopathy (damaged intervertebral disc), spondylolisthesis, herniated discs with intervertebral degeneration, cervical pain due to osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, cervical instabilities and myelopathies due to spondylosis.

In those cases, in which the patient has an active infection or is allergic to certain medications, anterior cervical arthrodesis cannot be performed.

The duration usually depends on the number of levels that need to be set.

The most frequently set levels are C5-C6, C6-C7 and C4-C5.

The average surgical time to perform the arthrodesis of a level is usually 75 minutes, and it can be extended up to 3 hours if several levels are operated. If iliac crest bone graft is used, it takes an additional 15 minutes. Other factors influence to determine the time of intervention, such as the state of the spinal discs and vertebrae.

Before considering surgical treatment of a cervical pathology by means of arthrodesis, conservative treatments with drugs, physical rehabilitation, or infiltrations will be chosen. If after a while, the patient does not present a physical improvement with these non-surgical treatments, surgery by arthrodesis will be chosen

The immediate post-operative period is not usually excessively painful. The patient is hospitalized for at least 24 hours with a drain to prevent the formation and accumulation of hematomas in the anterior cervical region.

You will use the cervical collar until the radiological controls show the spinal fusion. Physical rehabilitation will start around 6-12 weeks after the arthrodesis operation. A period of another 6-8 weeks of physical rehabilitation is generally required to achieve complete cervical mobility and strengthen the muscles.

During an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) operation, the main problems that can occur are dysphonia, difficulty swallowing, and bleeding, although they all affect the patient for a short period of time.

In the recovery process, problems with disc fusion or rupture may arise, with a minimum percentage of patients suffering from these postoperative problems, without presenting long-term sequelae.