Posterior Lumbar Fusion
What is it?
Posterior Lumbar Fusion is a surgical technique that addresses various conditions affecting the lower spine. This procedure aims to stabilize the spine by fusing two or more vertebrae together, thus eliminating the motion that causes pain or instability. It’s often recommended for conditions like degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, fractures, and in cases where previous spinal surgery has failed.
Candidates for Posterior Lumbar Fusion are typically individuals experiencing chronic back pain due to spinal instability or degenerative changes who haven’t found sufficient relief from non-surgical treatments like physical therapy, medications, or injections.
Recovery from Posterior Lumbar Fusion involves a hospital stay, followed by a period of rehabilitation. This includes physical therapy to strengthen the back, improve flexibility, and aid overall recovery.
Full recovery and fusion of the spine can take several months. Patients are often advised to avoid certain activities and heavy lifting during this period.
Procedure
In a Posterior Lumbar Fusion, the surgeon accesses the spine from the back (posterior) of the body. This approach allows direct visibility and access to the structures of the spine that need to be fused. The fusion involves placing bone graft material between the vertebrae. Over time, this graft grows and fuses the vertebrae together, forming a single, solid bone. The graft can be sourced from the patient (autograft) or a donor (allograft), or it can be synthetic. In most cases, the surgeon will use hardware like rods, screws, and plates to immediately stabilize the spine and hold the vertebrae in proper alignment while the fusion occurs.
By fusing the vertebrae, the procedure reduces the pain caused by movement and provides stability to the spine, particularly in areas weakened by disease or injury. Also, this surgery can correct or halt the progression of spinal deformities like scoliosis, improving posture and alignment. For many patients, the surgery significantly improves their quality of life by alleviating chronic back pain and enhancing mobility.