Spine Fusion

Spine fusion surgery is performed to link together two or more vertebrae within the spinal column. When a problem in the vertebrae develops, it most often occurs within the discs between the vertebrae. Your physician may recommend spinal fusion to eliminate motion in the damaged section of the spine, thereby eliminating the source of your back pain.

Cervical Spine Fusion: Cervical spine fusion can be implemented to treat either spinal stenosis or a herniated disc. To treat a herniated disc, the affected disc may be simply removed through a small incision in either the front or the back of the neck. If multiple discs are affected, they will be removed in a procedure called cervical discectomy, and the spine must be fused to maintain stability.

For surgery from the front side of the neck, a graft of bone is placed in the space where the disc was removed. Plates are screwed into the vertebrae to keep the new bone from moving. If the surgery is performed from the back side of the neck, rods may be used to connect the vertebrae to maintain stability.

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