Spinal fusion

Spinal fusion is surgery that permanently joins two or more vertebrae, reducing motion between them. Surgeons use bone grafts and fixation devices to help the vertebrae grow together.

Bone graft: Bone or a substitute material placed to support new bone growth or repair. Graft material bridges the vertebrae and provides a scaffold for fusion.
Lumbar spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the lower spinal canal that can compress nerves and cause pain or weakness. Fusion may accompany decompression when removing bone could destabilize the lumbar spine.
Spinal decompression: Surgery that removes tissue or bone to relieve pressure on spinal nerves or the spinal cord. Decompression relieves nerve pressure; fusion adds stabilization when needed.
Adjacent segment disease: Degeneration or symptoms arising at spinal levels next to a previously fused segment. Reduced motion at the fused level may increase mechanical demands on neighboring levels.
Vertebra: One of the bones that form the spinal column and protect the spinal cord. These are the bones joined together during spinal fusion.
Pedicle screw: A screw inserted through a vertebra’s pedicle to anchor spinal fixation hardware. Pedicle screws and rods hold the segment steady while bone grows across it.
Spondylolisthesis: Forward displacement of one vertebra relative to the vertebra beneath it. Fusion can stabilize a slipped vertebra, especially when instability contributes to symptoms.
Laminectomy: Surgery that removes part or all of a vertebra’s lamina to enlarge the spinal canal. A laminectomy can be performed without fusion when decompression does not destabilize the spine.
Failed back surgery syndrome: Persistent or recurrent pain after spinal surgery, including operations intended to relieve back or leg symptoms. Fusion does not ensure pain relief, and persistent symptoms may remain after surgery.
Intervertebral disc: A fibrocartilaginous structure between adjacent vertebrae that cushions loads and permits motion. Many fusion procedures remove a disc to prepare the space for grafting.

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