A cervical minimal access fusion system is presented. The system has a plate with a longitudinal axis and defining at least two bone screw bores therethrough and an inter-vertebral cage configured to be positioned between two adjacent cervical vertebrae. A method for a cervical minimal access fusion system is also presented. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of accessing the facet joints of two adjacent cervical vertebrae, distracting the joints so as to increase the space between the two adjacent cervical vertebrae, placing an implant or structural bone graft in the space between the two adjacent cervical vertebrae to maintain the distraction, and compressing the two lateral masses to induce lordosis around the facet joint.