@ga29 Why not ask your surgeon if they can remove the plate and you agree to stay in a neck brace 24/7 for about 3 months until it fuses? Osteoporosis is a game changer for bone quality when something needs to be screwed into it. My surgeon tugged on the operated vertebrae to see if it was stable during the surgery as dictated in his notes. I didn't find it difficult to stay in the neck brace and the time passed quicker than I thought. It was my choice and that was what was important, so I didn't feel trapped in it.