Procedure Description
Spinal fusion is performed in the treatment of severe back pain or a neurological deficit that has not responded to conservative treatment. The symptoms are caused by compression on a nerve or nerve root, commonly as a result of: damaged discs (discogenic pain or degenerative disc disease), abnormal slippage and motion of the vertebra (spondylolisthesis or spondylolysis), or other degenerative spinal conditions, including facet joint degeneration. Spinal fusion may be indicated for any condition that causes excessive instability of the spine, such as certain fractures, infections, tumours, and spinal deformity (such as scoliosis).
Treatment is achieved by decompressing the nerve and preventing motion at the effected segment and allowing for the adjacent vertebrae to permanently fuse.