There are two primary types of bone graft that are used in spinal fusion surgery: Patients should expect to undergo a thorough medical screening and physical evaluation to determine if surgery, including spinal fusion, is the appropriate course of treatment. Spinal fusion will be recommended over other types of surgery, such as decompression when there is significant instability and degeneration in the discs and other spinal anatomy. Patients will generally become candidates for spinal fusion surgery if they have severe neck or back pain related to a spine condition that does not respond to conservative therapies. When to consider spinal fusion with bone graft Hardware, including a metal cage and screws, acts to hold the vertebral segments in place and provide additional stability while they fuse together. The bone, which can come from either the patient or a donor source, works to stimulate bone growth that fuses the spinal segments together. One of the most common approaches to fusion involves placing a bone graft between the two vertebral segments where the disc was previously. By fusing together two adjacent vertebral segments, fusion surgery can stabilize the area even though it does reduce some flexibility. The spine consists of a stack of vertebral segments connected by joints and cushioned by rubbery discs.ĭue to aging, these discs break down, which can cause instability that limits mobility and contributes to painful nerve compression. Spinal fusion surgery is a type of procedure that involves removing damaged spinal anatomy, particularly degenerative spinal discs, and replacing them with material designed to stabilize the spine. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the treatments we have here at USA Spine Care & Orthopedics, don’t hesitate to reach out. Since a large number of people have questions about what bone grafts are and the role they play in spinal fusion, we’re sharing this helpful overview. Spinal fusion surgery is a treatment that many patients turn to that is designed to increase spinal stability, often through the use of a bone graft and surgical hardware. For many, the underlying cause is an age-related spine condition that reduces spinal stability and increases the risk of nerve compression. In addition to the pain itself, mobility problems can also severely limit your ability to accomplish basic tasks. Patients dealing with chronic neck or back pain face numerous obstacles to achieving relief.