screw alignment on a cervical fusion

June of this year I had a level 2 cervical fusion on c5 through c7. Looking at my x rays, it looks like the top and bottom sets of screws are screwed in at an amazing angle. To my knowledge and all of the research I have done before I had the operation, aren't the screws supposed to go straight into the vertebrae, not at an angle. If you look on my profile, I have included a couple of the 14 day xrays. The top and bottom screws are angled from top to bottom in the vertebrae. To me it looks like the doc used 1 size too small of a fusion plate and just made it work. Also one of the top screws is in at such an angle, the head sticks out of the plate.
Any insight in this will be of great help. I do have the 3 month xrays that clearly shows the screw head sticking out the top of the plate, and my doctor says this is normal.

[Kalvin]

I see what your saying about the plate, if he used a bigger one, he wouldn't have had to put that much of an angle on the screws. Your disc spaces or old disc spaces are really good size at those levels, maybe he ordered too small of a plate.

If you look at X-rays of neck and back surgeries particular with rods and screws, its very common for them to be at an angle. I remember some of the ones in my back being that way. I think its more important that they grip. As far as the heads sticking out, there going to stick out because they at such a great angle.

More importantly, are you feeling these screws or having trouble swallowing, some people say the plates have caused them pain. Fortunately, I haven't had any trouble with mine. How's your pain level at 3 months out?  

Copy your post over to the Neurosurgery Expert Forum. Questions are answered on there by a Surgeon, he could give you some good insight on this.

Here's the link:http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Neurosurgery/show/331

[electraglidepi]

Thanks for the Link and the reply. I do feel that the plate is too small. I'm gonna try to post the 3 month pics if I can get them to load. The placement of the plate all together looks off to me. The top screw set when magnified, look to be resting just off the vertebrae, while the bottom of the plate looks like it has been bored into the vertebrae, and the bottom screws look like they have extended all the way through the vertebrae, and stick out the backside of the vertebrae. My current pain level at 3 months is around a 4 to 5, so yes there is still a bit of pain, (which my neuro says all looks good and all my problematic symptoms that have arisen after surgery are not surgically related). I tolerate the pain with chewing way more pain pills than I should be at this stage. (A mix of 2 to 4 Darvacet, and 1 to 2 Percocet)