Spinal fusion, additionally known as spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a neurosurgical or orthopedic surgical method that joins two or extra vertebrae. This process could be carried out at any degree within the backbone (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral) and prevents any motion between the fused vertebrae. There are lots of kinds of spinal fusion and every method entails utilizing bone grafting—both from the affected person (autograft), donor (allograft), or synthetic bone substitutes—to assist the bones heal collectively. Further {hardware} (screws, plates, or cages) is commonly used to carry the bones in place whereas the graft fuses the 2 vertebrae collectively. The position of {hardware} could be guided by fluoroscopy, navigation programs, or robotics.
Spinal fusion is mostly carried out to alleviate the ache and stress from mechanical ache of the vertebrae or on the spinal twine that outcomes when a disc (cartilage between two vertebrae) wears out (degenerative disc illness). Additionally it is used as a backup process for whole disc substitute surgical procedure (intervertebral disc arthroplasty), in case affected person anatomy prevents substitute of the disc. Different frequent pathological circumstances which are handled by spinal fusion embody spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, spinal fractures, scoliosis, and kyphosis.
Like several surgical procedure, issues could embody an infection, blood loss, and nerve injury. Fusion additionally adjustments the traditional movement of the backbone and ends in extra stress on the vertebrae above and under the fused segments. Because of this, long-term issues embody degeneration at these adjoining backbone segments.
