Spinal Fusion Overview
Spinal fusion is surgery to connect two or more bones in any part of the spine. Connecting them prevents movement between them, which helps to prevent pain.
During spinal fusion, a surgeon places bone or a bonelike material in the space between two spinal bones. Metal plates, screws, or rods might hold the bones together, allowing them to fuse and heal as one bone.
Why It's Done
Spinal fusion connects two or more bones in the spine to make it more stable, correct a problem, or reduce pain. Spinal fusion can be used to:
- Reshape the spine, for example, correcting problems with scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine).
- Stabilize the spine when there is weakness or instability between two spinal bones, which can result from severe arthritis in the spine.
- Stabilize the spine after a damaged disk is removed.
Risks
Spinal fusion is generally safe. However, like any surgery, it carries some risks, including:
- Infection.
- Poor wound healing.
- Bleeding.
- Blood clots.
- Injury to blood vessels or nerves in and around the spine.
- Pain at the bone graft site.
- Return of symptoms.
How You Prepare
Getting ready for the surgery might include trimming hair over the surgical site and cleaning the area with a special soap. Inform your healthcare provider about the medicines you take. You may be asked to stop taking some medicines for a time before the surgery.
What You Can Expect
Spinal fusion is performed while the person having the procedure is unconscious under general anesthesia. There are several ways to do spinal fusion surgery, depending on factors like the location of the bones to be fused and the reason for the fusion.
Generally, the procedure involves the following:
- Getting to the spine by making incisions in the neck, back, or stomach area.
- Getting the bone graft ready from a bone bank or the person's body (usually from the pelvis).
- Fusing the spinal bones by placing the bone graft material between them and using metal plates, screws, or rods to hold the bones together while the bone graft heals.
After Spinal Fusion
A hospital stay of two to three days is usually required following spinal fusion. Depending on the surgery's location and extent, you may experience some pain and discomfort, which can usually be controlled well with medications.
After going home, contact your doctor if you exhibit signs of infection, such as redness, tenderness, swelling, wound drainage, shaking chills, or fever higher than 100.4 F (38 C).
It may take several months for the affected bones in your spine to heal and fuse together. Your doctor may recommend wearing a brace for a time to keep your spine aligned correctly. Physical therapy can teach you how to move, sit, stand, and walk to keep your spine properly aligned.
Results
Spinal fusion typically works for fixing broken bones, reshaping the spine, or making the spine more stable. However, study results are mixed when the cause of the back or neck pain is unclear. Spinal fusion often works no better than nonsurgical treatments for back pain with an unclear cause. Even when spinal fusion relieves symptoms, it doesn't prevent future back pain, as arthritis often causes much of back pain, and surgery doesn't cure arthritis.
Having a spine that doesn't move in places puts more strain on the areas around the fused part, leading to faster breakdown, and the spine might need more surgery in the future.