Spinal Fusion

The intervertebral discs serve as shock absorbers for the spine. Sometimes, however, the intervertebral discs can deteriorate, thin or bulge (hernia). When this happens, the pressure from two compressed vertebrae can pinch the nerves in the spine, causing debilitating back pain as a result. In severe cases, spinal fusion is necessary to correct the condition. This treatment involves removing the damaged disc and replacing it with a bone graft.

The most commonly used method for processing a bone graft is to use bone material that has been removed from elsewhere in the patient’s body, for example from the broad top edge of the hip bone (iliac crest) or from the hip bone itself. The new bone is inserted into the gap between two vertebrae, where the disc has been removed. In the bone, special cells called osteocytes make new bone, causing the vertebra and the new bone to grow together. Often a fixation rod is attached internally to the spine at the site of the implant, so that the implant remains stable during healing.