Infection can involve the skin, muscle or bone. Infection is a devastating complication and was found to occur in 16.6% of patients in a recent study. Patients who undergo surgery for nerve pain may awaken after surgery with new-onset left arm, face or lower extremity pain. Nerve injury can include exiting nerves as well as the spinal cord itself. Nerves can be damaged during surgery and the incidence varies from 0.18% to 2.6% (6). Severe headache is a common symptom of dural leak If left untreated may lead to infection, brain abscess, and bleeding (5). This important membrane can be punctured during surgery causing a leak of spinal fluid. The dura is the outermost membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord. Difficulty swallowing can compromise calorie, fluid intake, and healing. The incidence of dysphagia within one week after surgery varies from 1 to 79% in the literature (3). Dysphagiaĭifficulty swallowing is called dysphagia and can after neck fusion. The treatment for non-union is terrible as it involves another surgery where the fusion is revised and oftentimes the fusion is extended up or down an additional level. The incidence of non-union is striking and in one study was found to be 52% (2). This is bad as the intended surgery has failed and now there is instability in the neck. What are Neck Fusion Complications? Pseudoarthroisisįailure of the bones to fuse which is called non-union or pseudoarthrosis. Neck fusion rates are increasing and from 1997 to 2012 increased 114% in New York State (1). The disc between the bones is often times removed and replaced with bone or a spacer. The hardware may be placed either in the front (anterior) or the back of the neck (posterior).

What is a Neck Fusion?Ī neck fusion is a surgical procedure where one or more of the cervical bones (vertebrae) are fused together using hardware. What is a neck fusion? What are the neck fusion complications? Let’s dig in. Patients oftentimes turn to surgery in the hopes of eliminating the pain.

Stabbing, persistent neck pain can be disabling.

Neck fusion problems years later