What patient population undergoes cervical fusion surgery?
Cervical spine fusion is often performed for patients with degenerative disc disease or after an injury or trauma. For degenerative disc disease, cervical fusion is performed using graft material in order to relieve the pressure on the compressed nerve. After trauma or injury, fusion is performed in order to stabilize the neck and prevent a bone fracture from causing instability or damage to the spinal cord, and possibly, paralysis. Cervical spine fusion is also performed to treat conditions such as misalignment of the vertebrae, as a treatment for spinal stenosis (narrowing), a herniated disc, effects of rheumatoid arthritis, infection, tumors, or spinal deformities (Source: WebMD).
