Posterior Cervical Fusion, Posterior View

Description

Posterior elements of the cervical spine occupy the frame, with multilevel fusion hardware spanning adjacent vertebrae in the neck. Lateral mass or pedicle screws anchor into the posterior arches on either side of the midline, their screw heads connected by longitudinal rods that run superior to inferior parallel to the spinous processes. Intervertebral levels are identified by the stacked laminae and facet joint regions, while the instrumentation sits dorsal to the spinal canal, emphasizing the relationship between the fixation construct and the posterior bony landmarks. Metal implants dominate the posterior contour. Posterior cervical fusion is selected when you need rigid stabilization for cervical spondylotic myelopathy, traumatic fracture-dislocation, deformity correction, or revision after failed anterior constructs, and the screw-rod geometry in this illustration makes those operative goals easy to teach because it clarifies how load is shared across multiple segments rather than a single motion segment. Attention naturally falls on the typical entry zones near the lateral masses and the trajectory toward the articular pillars, a point that matters when discussing risk to the vertebral artery laterally and to the exiting cervical nerve roots in the foramen. The fixed posterior perspective also supports explanation of adjacent procedures frequently paired with instrumentation, such as laminectomy or laminoplasty, by locating the laminae and midline spinous processes relative to the implants. Use this illustration in spine surgery lectures to orient trainees to posterior cervical instrumentation nomenclature (screws, rods, set screws) and to map levels for operative notes and patient education. It also suits orthopedic and neurosurgical textbooks discussing posterior approaches to the cervical spine, including complication sections on junctional kyphosis, screw pullout, and adjacent segment disease. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.