What are the long term effects of spinal fusion?
The spinal muscles provide critical stability and support for the spine. Unfortunately, lumbar fusion significantly compromises the health and integrity of these muscles. This is in turn can lead to spine instability and additional injuries including degeneration and arthritis.
Does spinal fusion shorten life?
Conclusion: Elderly patients who underwent spine surgery for spinal stenosis had reduced mortality compared to the corresponding portion of the general population.
Do spinal fusions last forever?
The results of a fusion are permanent. When the bones fuse as intended, it changes the natural mobility of your spine, affecting the area around the surgical site and in various body parts as well.
How many years do spinal fusions last?
Surgical screws, rods or metal plates are used to hold the vertebrae together. In more complex cases, two or more interlocking vertebrae may be involved in the spinal fusion procedure. The results of a fusion are permanent.
What are the negatives of spinal fusion?
There’s a small risk of bleeding, infection, blood clots, or nerve damage. This is true for any surgery. Spinal fusion risks include a chance that you may feel pain at the spot where the bones are fused. And sometimes the fusion doesn’t take because there’s not enough bone formation.
Is spinal fusion a permanent disability?
There is no specific disability listing for back surgery or spinal fusion, but if the surgery didn’t correct your impairments, you might meet the requirements of a listing based on the impairments that led you to need back surgery or spinal fusion.
What happens to spinal fusion complications years later?
The most common thing we see in the clinic in patients who have spinal fusion complications years later is either a return of back pain or new symptoms. These both indicate possible new disease. What are some good examples?
What is a spinal fusion?
Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure in which two or more vertebrae are permanently joined. Vertebrae are the small, interlocking bones of the spine.
What are the most common reasons for spinal fusion failure?
Spinal fusion involves the use of a variety of hardware such as rods, screws, and sometimes hooks and wires. Potential failure could include a screw coming loose, a rod snapping, or natural wear and tear that accompanies aging.
Are there alternatives to spinal fusion?
The short answer is yes; alternatives to spinal fusion do exist. For example, we treat ASD quite frequently by using newer interventional orthopedic techniques above and below the fusion. What’s that?