Can a unilateral spinal fusion cause a stress fracture? it has been a year since my l3/4 unilateral fusion. unfortunately the bone has not fused and is still causing pain. the fusion was performed on the left side and i was recently was diagnosed with a

Stress : Stress fractures are commonly treated with fusion surgery. The fracture is usually across the pars interarticularis or the hook that holds the upper spinal vertebrae to the lower spinal vertebrae. When the hook breaks this stress fracture hurts. It also weaken the spine and the spine may slip apart forming a spondylolithesis. Most people have stress fractures on both sides of their spine from the beginning. This may be evident on your initial films prior to surgery. Ct scan of the spine is the best study to find stress fractures. Fusion surgery is a good treatment for this problem. In the past the spine was instrumented bilaterally, that is screws and rods were put in on both sides of the spine. Fusion is usually performed between the vertebral bodies (inter-body fusion) but can be done on the sides (postero-lateral fusion). Over the past few years surgeons have shifted to unilateral instrumentations because of good results, less tissue damage and pain. Unfortunately, spine surgery is not always successful and often treatment is easier to decide in hindsight. Please see my health guides for more information on spondylolithesis and fusion surgery. Good luck!

Depends: You can get a fracture if the fusion does not take or if there is a problem with the instrumentation. The non-union should be addressed and taken care of. You might benefit from an external bone growth stimulator or treatment with vitamin d and calcium