Which patients should consider spinal fusion?

Limited: Only a very small subset of patients will benefit from spinal fusion. It is typically people with either instability or a condition that requires destabilization of the spine to fix another condition. This is one of the hardest things to sort out when faced with a patient with back or leg pain - who will fall into this very small category.

Spinal Instability: Spine fusion is indicated when spinal stability and/or alignment has been compromised, resulting in risk for further spinal collapse, deformity, or neurological compression/injury. Surgical fusion restores immediate stability and alignment and creates an environment where the vertebra can fuse in a functionally acceptable position. Conditions include fracture, deformity, and spondylolisthesis.