The cervical spine or neck bones consist of seven cervical vertebrae with eight pairs of cervical nerves. These nerves control the neck, arms and upper body. Cervical vertebrae are subject to trauma, degenerative disease, and fractures. When conservative therapy with medication or physical therapy fails, or is inappropriate, surgery may be indicated. Cervical spine surgery can have complications.
Infection
According to the University of Maryland Spine Program, infections occur in less than 1 percent of spinal surgeries. An infection can be superficial and involve only the skin layers, or it can be a deep infection that involves muscle tissue, the spine and the spinal cord. A neck wound that becomes hot, red, swollen and drains copious amounts of fluid may be infected. These symptoms need to be reported to the surgeon immediately. Pain and fever usually accompany a deeper wound infection. Draining the wound and long-term antibiotics are required to treat deep wound infections.
Implant Migration
Implant migration refers to the movement of an implant from its original position. According to the Mayfield Clinic, migration occurs In 1 to 2 percent of patients. Cervical implants are used to support the vertebrae above and below where a disc has been removed. This is usually a bone graft, which will help induce the fusion process. Migration typically happens in the early postoperative period, according to the University of Maryland Spine Center. Implant migration can destabilize the cervical spine or affect spinal nerves and blood vessels. The placement of the implant will be checked with an x-ray during the first postoperative visit.
Persistent Pain
There are no guarantees with spine surgeries. The University of Maryland Spine Center says one of the most common complications of spine surgery is that it does not completely alleviate patients' pain. The potential to cause further damage, due to injury to the cervical spinal nerves or spinal cord during the surgery, can create further pain. Numbness, weakness and even paralysis can result from this damage. In some instances the original injury has affected the nerve for so long that permanent damage has occurred, creating persistent pain.
Pseudoarthrosis
Pseudoarthrosis literally means a "false joint." This term is used to describe a cervical fusion that has failed, or the failure of a cervical fracture to heal. When a fusion fails, it allows motion of vertebral segments that should not be moving. Likewise, if a fracture does not heal,, the bone fragments may move. This can cause continued pain, which will increase over time. The metal hardware that is placed in the spine for stability during a fusion may break with the motion of the vertebral segments. A failed fusion will require further surgery.
