Patients were randomized prior to or the day after the procedure to either wear or not wear the clavicle brace. Randomization was done through closed envelopes that the patients drew. Dissection was performed by the two fellows at our institution and depended solely on the number of fused levels and whether or not a tumor had to be removed. Closure was also performed by the two spine fellows after instruction by the senior author. Cervical alignment was reviewed using the C2-C7 angle according to Cobb's method on lateral images. The cervico-thoracic angles were calculated by the addition of the cervical spine angle and the remaining angles of thoracic spine until T3 according to Cobb's method.