Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery

At each vertebra in the spine, there is a disc space in the front that is paired with facet joints in the back. In a back in which injury or degeneration has occurred, movement is painful. Spinal fusion surgery is designed to stop motion in the area where the vertebra is damaged.

All lumbar spinal fusion surgery involves adding bone graft to an area of the spine to cause it to grow between the two vertebrae and thereby stop the motion between those vertebrae. In general, lumbar spinal fusion surgery is most effective for those conditions involving only one vertebral segment (one-level spine fusion). Most patients will not notice any limitation in motion after this type of surgery.

There are several types of spinal fusion surgeries, depending on your condition. Your doctor will discuss what is best for your specific situation. The goal of spine surgery is to decrease the pain generated from the joint causing the pain. It is important to note that with any type of spine fusion surgery there is the risk that your pain will not go away, despite achieving a successful fusion.