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.

Vertebral interbody fusion; Posterior spinal fusion; Arthrodesis; Anterior spinal fusion; Spine surgery - spinal fusion

You will be asleep and feel no pain (general anesthesia).

Your surgeon has several choices about where to make the incision (cut).

• The surgeon may make an incision on your back or neck over the spine. You will be lying face down on a special table. Muscles and tissue are separated to expose the spine.
• The surgeon may make a cut through one side of your belly (for surgery on your lower back). The surgeon will use tools called retractors to gently separate, hold the soft tissues and blood vessels apart, and have room to work.
• The surgeon may make the cut on the front of the neck, toward the side.

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:

Images

Scoliosis

• < Page
1 2 3
• >

Next Section

Spinal fusion Risks

Review Date: 05/25/2010
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, and David R. Eltz. Previously reviewed by C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery (3/4/2009).

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)