Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
Certain patients with neck pain, arm pain/weakness/numbness, or symptoms of spinal cord compression are candidates for ACDF.
The discs are soft cushions in between your vertebrae that act as shock absorbers for your spine. They consist of a soft central portion (nucleus pulposus) and harder outer covering (annulus fibrosis). Disc herniations occur when there is a rupture of the outer covering, allowing the inner portion to squeeze out, compressing your spinal cord/nerves in and around your spinal canal. These herniations can occur acutely from a specific event or can develop slowly over time, and cause compression of your spinal cord and/or nerves. Certain patients with neck pain, arm pain/weakness/numbness, or symptoms of spinal cord compression are candidates for ACDF. In this procedure, the damaged disc and other degenerative changes are removed and replaced with bone or cage to restore height and stop motion at that segment to relieve your symptoms.