Posterior Cervical Fusion

Posterior Cervical Fusion (PCF) is the general term used to describe the technique of surgically mending two (or more) cervical spine bones together along the sides of the bone using a posterior (back of the neck) incision. Bone graft is placed along the sides the spine bones, which over time, fuses (mends) together. PCF may be performed in conjunction with or without a posterior decompression (laminectomy) and/or instrumentation (use of metal screws/rods). Nowadays, metal screws and rods are almost always used, which adds immediate stability and increases the fusion rate (percentage of patients where the bone successfully mends together).