Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery - OrthoInfo - AAOS
Minimally invasive spine surgery is sometimes called less invasive spine surgery. In these procedures, doctors use specialized instruments to access the spine through small incisions. In a traditional open surgery, the doctor makes an incision that is 5 to 6 inches long, then moves the muscles to the side to see the spine.
Spinal Fusion - OrthoInfo - AAOS
Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the small bones of the spine (vertebrae). It is essentially a "welding" process. The basic idea is to fuse together two or more vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone.
What Is a Spine Surgeon? - OrthoInfo
Spine surgery is a dedicated subspecialty for orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons. This means that to become a spine surgeon, a person must: Complete at least 1 full year of specialized training in spine surgery after their initial 5- to 7-year residency. Dedicate a large portion of their practice to conditions of the spine (often, at least ...
Spine Basics - OrthoInfo - AAOS
Abnormal curvatures of the spine are also referred to as spinal deformity. These types of conditions include kyphosis of the thoracic spine ("hunchback"), lordosis of the lumbar spine ("swayback"), and "flatback syndrome," a condition in which there is too little curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is another type of spinal deformity.
Bone Grafts in Spine Surgery - OrthoInfo - AAOS
In spine surgery, the bone is typically harvested from the iliac crest, which is the rim of the pelvic bone. The surgeon uses sharp tools to scoop the bone out of the iliac crest. Most autografts are harvested from the iliac crest of the hip.
Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion - OrthoInfo - AAOS
The surgeon accesses the spine by going through the psoas muscle, the muscle that enables the hip to flex, rotate, and adduct (move toward the midline of the body). A separate lateral approach, referred to an anterolateral interbody fusion (OLIF or ATP) is similar to a direct lateral interbody fusion, except the psoas is not typically disrupted.
Preparing for Low Back Surgery - OrthoInfo
The incidence of complications after low back surgery is low. Risks for any type of surgery include bleeding, infection, and reaction to anesthesia. Complications that are specific to spine surgery include: Difficulty with urination (retention) Difficulty with intestinal function; Heart attack; Stroke; Blood clots; Recurrent disk herniation
Surgical Treatment for Scoliosis - OrthoInfo - AAOS
Other "fusionless" surgery is also possible. In this surgery, screws are placed in the vertebrae and connected by cable. This surgery is called vertebral body tethering (VBT). Tension on the cable corrects the spine to a certain point, and continued growth after …
PLIF and TLIF (Interbody Fusion) - OrthoInfo - AAOS
Spinal fusion is a surgery used to correct problems with the small bones in the spine. In an interbody fusion, the damaged intervertebral disk is removed and replaced with bone graft material. Posterior lumbar and transforaminal lumbar are types of interbody fusion.
Lumbar Artificial Disk Replacement - OrthoInfo - AAOS
In artificial disk replacement, worn or damaged disk material between the small bones in the spine (vertebrae) is removed and replaced with a synthetic or "artificial" disk. The goal of the procedure is to relieve back pain while maintaining more normal motion than is allowed with some other procedures, such as spinal fusion.