What is an anterior cervical fusion?

The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that anterior cervical fusion is a surgery performed on the cervical bones of the spine in which doctors insert a bone graft between two vertebrae, causing them to grow or fuse together. The cervical bones of the spine are located in the neck.

The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that anterior cervical fusion is usually the second step of a two-step operation performed to fix degenerative problems in the spine. The first step is the removal of one of the cervical discs. The bone graft, taken from the patient's hip or from a bone bank, replaces the removed disc. Plates, pins, and screws can be used to hold the graft in place if necessary.