Lumbar Spinal Fusion is the surgical process involving the placement of screws, rods, and cages to stabilize the spine. This procedure is typically necessary when the spine is unstable due to an injury, or to alleviate pain by fixing the spine in place. The surgery often entails the removal of all or part of the lamina, the bone that covers the back of the spinal column.
Instrumented spinal fusion is performed to aid the bones in the spine to fuse or grow together by utilizing instruments like rods, plates, and screws. It’s applicable to both adult and pediatric patients with conditions such as degenerative diseases, deformities, trauma, tumors, or previous surgeries that have weakened the spine. To promote healing and maintain alignment, fusions are secured with instrumentation, including rods, hooks, screws, or cages. Pseudarthrosis, a condition where the bone fails to heal correctly after fusion surgery, may necessitate revision surgery.
TLIF (Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion) surgery is considered a major operation, involving general anesthesia and the insertion of a cage, screws, and rods. Minimally invasive TLIF reduces the surgical impact and can improve recovery rates. Such techniques may employ screws linked to rods to stabilize the vertebrae during the growth of new bone, with some available methods being endoscopic. This approach uses an endoscope for spine access to perform decompression or stabilization.
The surgery is typically a posterior procedure, meaning the spine is accessed through an incision in the back. Holes are drilled into the pedicle of intact vertebrae for screw placement, with rods positioned between these screws and secured. This rod and screw instrumentation ensures spinal stability. For more detailed information, please visit Lumbar Spinal Fusion, Instrumented Spinal Fusion, Revision Surgery for Adult Spinal Deformity, TLIF Surgery, Spinal Fusion Conditions, Thoracic Laminectomy Instrumentation Fusion, Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery, and Scoliosis Surgery. Learn about PLIF surgery by viewing the PLIF animation.
The placement of screws and rods corrects spinal alignment by preventing vertebrae movement during the bone graft fusion process. Such stabilization is crucial for successful fusion and recovery.
