Lumber Spine Fusion
Lumbar spine surgery is a common surgical procedure for the lower back and involves removing small portion of bone over nerve root and/or disc material from under nerve root for relieving pinching of nerves as well as providing more room for nerves to heal. The process involves using bone graft for stopping motion at painful vertebral segment that helps in decreasing pain which is generated from joints.
Some of the processes that are used along which this include:
· Spine surgery instrumentation
· Bone graft procedures
· Bone stimulator
Spine Fusion Instrumentation Types -
Three primary types of spine surgery instrumentation are used. These include:
Pedicle screws - Providing means of gripping onto vertebral segment as well as limiting its motion.
Anterior interbody cages - Devices made for insertion into lumbar disc space through anterior (from the front) approach.
Posterior lumbar cages - Devices made for insertion into lumbar disc space through a posterior (from the back) approach.
Aim of Surgery
The basic aim of spine fusion instrumentation is providing additional spinal stability while at the same time also helping fusion to set up. With the advancement in technology, different forms of instrumentation have been developed that have greatly assisted in improving rates of successful spinal fusion.
Further, as bone tends to fuse better in environment where there is little motion, instrumentation option assists in the fusion process by limiting motion at fused segment.
A fusion option is considered for patients if abnormal and excessive motion at vertebral segment results in severe pain with the following conditions:
· Degenerative disc disease
· Isthmic, degenerative/postlaminectomy spondylolisthesis
Apart from these, some of the other conditions that can be treated by us involving spinal fusion surgery include:
· Weak/unstable spine
· Fractures
· Scoliosis
· Deformity
How Spinal Fusion Surgery Works
There is disc space in front and paired facet joints in back at each level in the spine. These structures while working together define motion segment help in achieving multiple degrees of motion. Under this surgery, two vertebral segments are required to be fused together for stopping motion at one segment, so that L4-L5 spinal fusion is actually becomes one-level spinal fusion.
The surgery involves making use of bone graft from patient's hip portion that helps two vertebral bodies to grow together into one long bone. If it is not possible to take bone graft from the hip portion, then it is harvested from allograft bone or a synthetic bone graft substitute is used.
Surgery Options
With the advent in modern day science, there are different types of spinal fusion surgery options present today. These include:
Posterolateral gutter fusion-- Procedure done through the back.
Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF/TLIF)-- Procedure done from back that includes removing disc between two vertebrae and insertion of bone into space created between two vertebral bodies.
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)-- Procedure done from front that includes removal of disc between two vertebrae and inserting bone into space created between two vertebral bodies.
Anterior/posterior spinal fusion-- Procedure done from both front and the back.
Advantages -
Generally, the surgery performed by Dr. L. Tomar for lumbar spinal fusion is effective for conditions involving only one vertebral segment. Most of the patients who have undergone this surgery will not notice any limitations in terms of motion after one-level spine fusion. However, spinal fusions involving more than two segments is unlikely to provide pain relief as it removes too much of normal motion in lower back and places much stress across remaining joints.
Lumbar spine surgery is a common surgical procedure for the lower back and involves removing small portion of bone over nerve root and/or disc material from under nerve root for relieving pinching of nerves as well as providing more room for nerves to heal. The process involves using bone graft for stopping motion at painful vertebral segment that helps in decreasing pain which is generated from joints.
Some of the processes that are used along which this include:
· Spine surgery instrumentation
· Bone graft procedures
· Bone stimulator
Spine Fusion Instrumentation Types -
Three primary types of spine surgery instrumentation are used. These include:
Pedicle screws - Providing means of gripping onto vertebral segment as well as limiting its motion.
Anterior interbody cages - Devices made for insertion into lumbar disc space through anterior (from the front) approach.
Posterior lumbar cages - Devices made for insertion into lumbar disc space through a posterior (from the back) approach.
Aim of Surgery
The basic aim of spine fusion instrumentation is providing additional spinal stability while at the same time also helping fusion to set up. With the advancement in technology, different forms of instrumentation have been developed that have greatly assisted in improving rates of successful spinal fusion.
Further, as bone tends to fuse better in environment where there is little motion, instrumentation option assists in the fusion process by limiting motion at fused segment.
A fusion option is considered for patients if abnormal and excessive motion at vertebral segment results in severe pain with the following conditions:
· Degenerative disc disease
· Isthmic, degenerative/postlaminectomy spondylolisthesis
Apart from these, some of the other conditions that can be treated by us involving spinal fusion surgery include:
· Weak/unstable spine
· Fractures
· Scoliosis
· Deformity
How Spinal Fusion Surgery Works
There is disc space in front and paired facet joints in back at each level in the spine. These structures while working together define motion segment help in achieving multiple degrees of motion. Under this surgery, two vertebral segments are required to be fused together for stopping motion at one segment, so that L4-L5 spinal fusion is actually becomes one-level spinal fusion.
The surgery involves making use of bone graft from patient's hip portion that helps two vertebral bodies to grow together into one long bone. If it is not possible to take bone graft from the hip portion, then it is harvested from allograft bone or a synthetic bone graft substitute is used.
Surgery Options
With the advent in modern day science, there are different types of spinal fusion surgery options present today. These include:
Posterolateral gutter fusion-- Procedure done through the back.
Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF/TLIF)-- Procedure done from back that includes removing disc between two vertebrae and insertion of bone into space created between two vertebral bodies.
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)-- Procedure done from front that includes removal of disc between two vertebrae and inserting bone into space created between two vertebral bodies.
Anterior/posterior spinal fusion-- Procedure done from both front and the back.
Advantages -
Generally, the surgery performed by Dr. L. Tomar for lumbar spinal fusion is effective for conditions involving only one vertebral segment. Most of the patients who have undergone this surgery will not notice any limitations in terms of motion after one-level spine fusion. However, spinal fusions involving more than two segments is unlikely to provide pain relief as it removes too much of normal motion in lower back and places much stress across remaining joints.