Spinal fusion
Also called: back fusion surgery
What it means
Spinal fusion is a surgery that permanently joins two or more vertebrae together using bone graft and hardware like screws and rods, so that section of the spine no longer moves.
If you have osteoporosis, bone quality affects how well hardware holds and how the fused spine handles stress over time.
Spinal fusion is surgery that joins two or more vertebrae into one solid piece of bone, so they no longer move against each other. Surgeons often use bone graft material, screws, and rods to hold the bones in place while new bone grows and fuses them together over time, similar to how a fracture heals.
It's typically used for problems like spinal instability, severe spondylolisthesis, significant scoliosis, or sometimes after a vertebral compression fracture or spinal stenosis surgery when the spine needs extra support. Recovery usually involves a period of restricted movement and physical therapy, with healing of the fusion taking months.
Because it changes how the spine moves, fusion can shift extra stress onto the vertebrae above and below the fused area over the years. People with osteoporosis or low bone density may have added considerations around hardware stability and healing, so this is always a decision made with a spine surgeon who knows your full history and bone health.
With osteoporosis, bone quality shapes how well spinal fusion hardware holds up over time.
Where this leads
WordWondering what kind of spine injury might lead to needing fusion? A vertebral compression fracture shows how weakened spine bone can collapse in the first place.
Related words
A vertebral compression fracture is when a bone in the spine collapses or flattens, often because the bone is…
Spondylolisthesis is when one spinal bone slips forward out of place over the one below it, most often in the lower…
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces in your spine that can press on the spinal cord or nearby nerves, often…
Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curve of the spine, which can affect posture, back comfort, and the accuracy of…
Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive surgery that uses a balloon and bone cement to repair and stabilize a collapsed…
Vertebroplasty is a procedure where a doctor injects bone cement into a fractured spinal vertebra to help stabilize…
Education only, not medical advice. Decisions about tests, medications and treatment belong with your own doctor. OsteoStrong does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
