Pseudoarthrosis Following Anterior Cervical Surgery: Diagnosis, Treatment Options, and Results

Anterior cervical fusions are performed to treat various clinical entities of the cervical spine. Many patient and surgical factors likely determine whether a solid fusion develops in an individual patient. The incidence of pseudoarthrosis varies between 0 and 50% following anterior cervical fusion. Approximately 60% of patients with failure of fusion complain of symptoms including neck and/or arm pain, parasthesias, or symptoms of myelopathy. Symptomatic pseudoarthrosis can be successfully treated with anterior, posterior, and combined anterior/posterior procedures depending on the specific situation.