What does ACDF surgery treat?ĪCDF can be used to treat a number of cervical spine issues. Even patients who have had prior head and neck surgeries can be good candidates for ACDF – please consult with your orthopedic surgeon. In both cases, the removal of the disc or bone spur which is causing compression on the nerve or spinal cord can provide fast relief of pain symptoms and prevent worsening of conditions related to spinal cord compression. Who is a good candidate for ACDF surgery?ĪCDF surgery is an excellent surgical option for patients who are experiencing nerve pain in the neck that radiates down to their shoulder and arms (known as cervical radiculopathy or brachialgia) or for patients who have cervical spinal cord compression (known as cervical myelopathy). By delicately separating these structures, a spine surgeon has easy access to the cervical spine through small incisions with minimal dissection. On either side of these structures are a collection of muscles and blood vessels, most importantly the sternocleidomastoid (SCM – the muscle that allows you to turn your head from side to side) and the carotid arteries (which carry blood from the heart up to the brain). These lie just in front of the cervical spine. In the middle of the neck lies the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the muscular pipe that allows you to swallow foods and drinks). ( Find an HSS surgeon who performs ACDF surgery.) Cervical spine anatomy and the minimally invasive approachĪn introduction to the relevant anatomy of the front (anterior) of the neck, including the trachea, esophagus, cervical spine and surrounding tissues, is useful to help explain the minimally invasive approach of the ACDF procedure. This stimulates the healing of the bones together, referred to as fusion. This minimally invasive surgery involves a discectomy (removal of the soft disc between the vertebra) and the replacement of this soft tissue with graft material (the patient’s own bone, donor bone, or synthetic material). Illustrations of the axial (overhead) view of a healthy disc and a herniated disc putting pressure on a spinal nerve.
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