Indications and trends in use in cervical spinal fusions

Anterior cervical decompression and arthrodesis has evolved over the last 40 years and has become the preferred procedure for managing many cervical spine disorders. The first half of this article discusses the indications for cervical fusion in the management of traumatic, degenerative, neoplastic, infectious, and congenital conditions of the cervical spine. The second half of this article discusses the recent trends in use of cervical spine fusions that demonstrate the increasing frequency of this procedure in the United States over the last 10 years.