Spinal surgery is sometimes performed to remove a herniated disc.
If more than one disc is removed the spine can become unstable, and
a procedure to fuse the spine together is needed. The spine can be
fused with with bone and plates, rods, or special metal cages. The
bone may be taken from the patient's body from either the hip or
the lower leg.
Review Date: 07/29/2008
Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in
Orthopaedics, subspecialty Foot and Ankle, Camden Bone & Joint,
Camden, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also
reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
