spinalfusioner

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure that joins two or more adjacent vertebrae to eliminate motion at a painful or unstable spinal segment. By creating a solid bony bridge between the vertebrae, the operation aims to relieve pain, restore stability, and prevent further deformity or neurologic compromise.

Indications include degenerative spine disease with instability, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis with spondylotic instability, traumatic fractures, scoliosis, tumors, or infections when conservative treatments have failed. The goal is to reduce pain and preserve or improve function, though it may limit some spinal flexibility at the fused levels.

The procedure typically involves placing a bone graft between the affected vertebrae to stimulate new bone growth, often in combination with internal fixation such as pedicle screws and rods. In some cases, interbody cages or spacers are inserted to restore disc height and alignment. Bone grafts may be autograft (from the patient), allograft (donor tissue), or synthetic substitutes. Fusion can be performed through different approaches—anterior, posterior, or lateral—with posterior approaches being common in the lumbar region. Minimally invasive techniques and computer-assisted methods are increasingly used to reduce tissue damage and recovery time.

Recovery varies with the level treated and the approach but generally includes a hospital stay followed by physical therapy and activity modification. Radiographic fusion is typically assessed over several months. Potential risks include infection, bleeding, nerve injury, nonunion or pseudoarthrosis, adjacent-segment disease, and hardware-related complications. Alternatives include decompression without fusion or motion-preserving procedures, depending on the individual condition.