Anterior Arthrodesis

Anterior arthrodesis is a surgical procedure in which two or more adjacent vertebrae are induced to grow together as a single, solid bone by destroying the intervening joints or disks and adding bone and/or bone substitutes that eventually heal into a solid bone bridge between the vertebrae. Anterior decompression and arthrodesis, even when performed late after the injury, can improve neurological function in both the upper and lower extremities in many patients who have incomplete quadriplegia due to a fracture or dislocation of the cervical spine.