Posterior Cervical Fusion, Lateral View

Description

Posterior cervical fusion constructs span the mid to lower cervical spine in a lateral surgical perspective, with paired rods running longitudinally along the posterior elements and linking multiple instrumented segments. Lateral mass or pedicle screws anchor the construct at each treated vertebra, their heads aligned posterior to the articular pillars while the threaded shafts course into the vertebral bone. Spinous processes and laminae lie posterior to the vertebral bodies, and the fused levels read as a single stabilized unit across the operative segments. Hardware dominates the posterior column. Posterior cervical fusion is the workhorse approach for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy, post-laminectomy instability, traumatic fracture dislocation, and deformity requiring rigid posterior tension-band restoration. A lateral perspective is where alignment matters: you can assess segmental lordosis versus iatrogenic kyphosis, the relationship of screw trajectories to the spinal canal corridor, and the position of the rod relative to the lateral mass complex without the clutter of an anterior approach. The illustration’s emphasis on instrumentation over soft tissue also supports teaching the difference between posterior arthrodesis and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), including why posterior constructs often extend across more levels to control motion and improve fusion rates in poor bone or revision settings. Use this illustration in spine surgery atlases, orthopedic and neurosurgical board-review materials, and patient-facing explanations of cervical stabilization after trauma or degenerative stenosis. It also fits biomechanics lectures on load sharing across posterior instrumentation, and manuscript figures discussing adjacent segment disease, pseudarthrosis, or postoperative alignment goals in the cervical spine. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.