How a Spinal Fusion Surgery Works (Pre- and Post-)
The surgery is called a "fusion" because it involves placing small bits of the patient’s
own bone, cadaver bone, and/or a synthetic, porous bone graft material in specific
parts of the spine so that the bone grows together and spans a gap between two or
more vertebrae.
It should be known that the spine does not actually fuse together during the surgical
procedure. Instead, the surgery creates the conditions for the spine to be able
to fuse by natural bone regeneration, and the actual process of the bone growing
together takes place over 6 to 12 months (and may take up to 18 months) following
the surgery.
Requirements for a Successful Fusion
In order to obtain a fusion, a suitable bone graft must be available to create the
bridge to connect the vertebrae, and several other requirements must be satisfied:
- The surgeon must choose the appropriate location to place the bone graft to allow
it to heal so that two or more vertebral bodies can become fused or grow together
and become connected.
- The area where the bone graft is inserted must be adequately prepared and the patient
must have the appropriate biology for the graft to heal. For example, there should
be direct contact between the bone and the bone graft, with no muscles or ligaments
in the way.
- The area of the spine to be fused must be held immobile during the months that the
bone graft is healing.
- This immobilization is usually provided by internal fixation, some of which would
use metallic screws and rods and interbody devices such as "cages".