Spinal fusion is surgery to join together two bones (vertebrae) in the spine. Fusing permanently joins two bones together so there is no longer movement between them. Spinal fusion is usually done along with other surgical procedures of the spine.
Alternative NamesVertebral interbody fusion; Posterior spinal fusion; Arthrodesis; Anterior spinal fusion; Spine surgery - spinal fusion
DescriptionYou will be asleep and feel no pain (general anesthesia).
Your surgeon has several choices about where to make the incision (cut).
Other surgery, such as a diskectomy, laminectomy, or a foraminotomy, is almost always done first.
The surgeon will use a graft (such as bone) to hold (or fuse) the bones together permanently. There are several different ways of fusing vertebrae together:
The surgeon may get the graft from different places:
The vertebrae are often also fixed together with screws, plates, or cages. They are used to keep the vertebrae from moving until the bone grafts fully healed.
Surgery can take 3 to 4 hours.
Why the Procedure Is PerformedSpinal fusion may be recommended for persistent pain that does not get better with other treatments. It may be done in the following cases:
Risks for any surgery are:
Risks for spine surgery are:
Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs you are taking, even drugs or herbs you bought without a prescription.
During the days before the surgery:
On the day of the surgery:
You will need to stay in the hospital for 3 to 4 days after surgery. The repaired spine should be kept in the right position to maintain alignment.
If the surgery involved a surgical cut in the chest, a chest tube may be used to drain fluid build-up. The tube is usually removed after 24 to 72 hours.
You will receive pain medicines in the hospital. You may have a pump where you control how much pain medicine you get, you may get shots or intravenous (IV) injections, or you may take pain pills.
You will be taught how to move properly and how to sit, stand, and walk. You'll be told to use a "log-rolling" technique when getting out of bed. This means that you move your entire body at once, without twisting your spine.
You may not be able to eat for 2 to 3 days and will be fed through an IV. When you leave the hospital, you may need to wear a back brace or cast.
Outlook (Prognosis)Spine surgery will often provide full or partial relief of symptoms.
Future spine problems are possible for all patients after spine surgery. After spinal fusion, the area that was fused together can no longer move. Therefore, the spinal column above and below the fusion are more likely to be stressed when the spine moves, and have problems later. Also, if you needed more than one kind of back surgery (such as laminectomy and spinal fusion), you may have more of a chance of future problems.
ReferencesWeinstein JN, Tosteson TD, Lurie JD, et al. Surgical versus nonsurgical therapy for lumbar spinal stenosis. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:794-810.
Katz JN, Harris MB. Clinical practice: lumbar spinal stenosis. N Engl J Med. 2008;358(8):818-825.
Chou R, Qaseem A, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of low Back pain: a joint clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society. Ann Intern Med. 2007;147(7):478-491.
Hedequist DJ. Surgical treatment of congenital scoliosis. Orthop Clin North Am. 2007;38(4):497-509.
Curlee PM. Other disorders of the spine. In: Canale ST, Beatty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 41.
Spinal fusion is surgery to join together two bones (vertebrae) in the spine. Fusion permanently joins two bones together so there is no longer movement between them. Spinal fusion is usually done along with other surgical procedures of the spine.
Alternative NamesVertebral interbody fusion; Posterior spinal fusion; Arthrodesis; Anterior spinal fusion; Spine surgery - spinal fusion
DescriptionYou will be asleep and feel no pain (general anesthesia).
The doctor will make a surgical cut to view the spine. This may be done:
Other surgery, such as a diskectomy, laminectomy, or a foraminotomy, is almost always done first.
The surgeon will use a graft (such as bone) to hold (or fuse) the bones together permanently. There are several different ways of fusing vertebrae together:
The surgeon may get the graft from different places:
The vertebrae are often also fixed together with rods, screws, plates, or cages. They are used to keep the vertebrae from moving until the bone grafts fully healed.
Surgery can take 3 to 4 hours.
Why the Procedure Is PerformedSpinal fusion may be done in the following cases:
Spinal fusion may also be done along with other surgeries to treat spinal stenosis. These surgeries are done to make more room for your spinal nerve and column (such as foraminotomy or laminectomy). See: Spinal stenosis for more information
You and your doctor can decide when you need to have surgery.
RisksRisks for any surgery are:
Risks for spine surgery are:
Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs you are taking, including medicines, herbs, and supplements you bought without a prescription.
During the days before the surgery:
On the day of the surgery:
You will stay in the hospital for 3 to 4 days after surgery.
You will receive pain medicines in the hospital. Pain medicine may be taken by mouth or given through a shot or a vein (intravenous line, or IV). You may have a pump that allows you to control how much pain medicine you get.
You will be taught how to move properly and how to sit, stand, and walk. You'll be told to use a "log-rolling" technique when getting out of bed. This means that you move your entire body at once, without twisting your spine.
You may not be able to eat for 2 to 3 days. You will be given nutrients through an IV. When you leave the hospital, you may need to wear a back brace or cast.
Outlook (Prognosis)People who had chronic back pain before their surgery are likely to still have some pain afterwards. Spinal fusion is unlikely to take away all the pain and other symptoms.
Even when using MRI scans or other tests, it is hard for your surgeon to always predict which patients will improve and how much relief surgery will provide.
Losing weight and getting exercise will increase the chance of feeling better
Future spine problems are possible for all patients after spine surgery. After spinal fusion, the area that was fused together can no longer move. Therefore, the spinal column above and below the fusion are more likely to be stressed when the spine moves, and may have problems later on.
ReferencesWeinstein JN, Tosteson TD, Lurie JD, et al. Surgical versus nonsurgical therapy for lumbar spinal stenosis. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:794-810.
Brox JI, Nygaard OP, Holm I, Keller A, Ingebrigtsen T, Reikeras O. Four-year follow-up of surgical versus non-surgical therapy for chronic low back pain. Ann Rheum Dis. 2010 Sep;69(9):1643-8.
Curlee PM. Other disorders of the spine. In: Canale ST, Beatty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 41.
Weinstein JN, Tosteson TD, Lurie JD, et al. Surgical versus nonoperative treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis four-year results of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010 Jun 15;35(14):1329-38.
Matz PG, Holly LT, Groff MW, et al; Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Indications for anterior cervical decompression for the treatment of cervical degenerative radiculopathy. J Neurosurg Spine. 2009 Aug;11(2):174-82.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 06/04/2011
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Spinal fusion decreases pain but it also decreases spinal mobility
Bruises are one of the after effects of spinal fusion.
meningocele
Yes you can but you need to be a woman and it is harder than if you did not have spinal fusion surgery.
spondylodesis
spondylodesis
Spinal fusion involves the surgical treatment of abnormalities in the vertebrae, such as curvatures, scoliosis or kyphosis, or injuries (fractures).
Spinal fusion for scoliosis is usually very successful in partially or completely correcting the deformity. Spinal fusion for pain is less uniformly successful because the cause of the pain cannot always be completely identified.
Exploration of spinal fusion
yes you can
spinal fusion or spondylosyndesisspinal fusion or spondylosyndesis
Following a spinal fusion, you are not required to wear traction or a spinal halo. The recommended regime varies from patient to patient but focuses on incorporating the exercises generally learned while at the hospital. In some cases, traction is recommended before the fusion procedure as an alternative.