Spinal Fusion Surgery
If patients suffer from severe instability of the spine, e.g. in an advanced stage of spondylolisthesis, or if conservative treatment is not expected to improve the pain, surgical intervention may be considered. A fusion operation may also be advisable in some cases of scoliosis or spinal injuries.
Indications for Surgical Intervention
Our spine has to do a lot every day – whether at work or during sport. A strong back is needed to withstand this strain. But the spine is not always stable. There are numerous causes of an unstable spine: wear and tear, spondylolisthesis and congenital misalignments of the vertebral bodies through to osteoarthritis, scoliosis, tumors in the intervertebral disc area and serious injuries, for example after an accident.
Indications for Surgical Intervention
Our spine has to do a lot every day – whether at work or during sport. A strong back is needed to withstand this strain. But the spine is not always stable. There are numerous causes of an unstable spine: wear and tear, spondylolisthesis and congenital misalignments of the vertebral bodies through to osteoarthritis, scoliosis, tumors in the intervertebral disc area and serious injuries, for example after an accident.
The joimax® Approach
During the operation, damaged vertebral bodies are completely or partially removed and replaced with implants. The intervertebral disc between the affected vertebrae is also completely removed first. The empty “disc space” is then refilled in order to maintain the natural distance between the vertebrae and thus the natural anatomy of the spine as far as possible. Above all, the filling material should be sufficiently stable, stimulate bone growth and also be well tolerated in the long term.
In order to obtain a suitable filling material for spondylodesis, one option is to take a piece of bone from another part of the body – usually the iliac crest – and insert it in place of the intervertebral disc. While this procedure shows good results for fusing the vertebrae, it often leads to considerable discomfort at the extraction site. Patients often complain of pain in this area for a long time after the procedure.
The joimax® Approach
During the operation, damaged vertebral bodies are completely or partially removed and replaced with implants. The intervertebral disc between the affected vertebrae is also completely removed first. The empty “disc space” is then refilled in order to maintain the natural distance between the vertebrae and thus the natural anatomy of the spine as far as possible. Above all, the filling material should be sufficiently stable, stimulate bone growth and also be well tolerated in the long term.
In order to obtain a suitable filling material for spondylodesis, one option is to take a piece of bone from another part of the body – usually the iliac crest – and insert it in place of the intervertebral disc. While this procedure shows good results for fusing the vertebrae, it often leads to considerable discomfort at the extraction site. Patients often complain of pain in this area for a long time after the procedure.
The joimax® Approach
During the operation, damaged vertebral bodies are completely or partially removed and replaced with implants. The intervertebral disc between the affected vertebrae is also completely removed first. The empty “disc space” is then refilled in order to maintain the natural distance between the vertebrae and thus the natural anatomy of the spine as far as possible. Above all, the filling material should be sufficiently stable, stimulate bone growth and also be well tolerated in the long term.
In order to obtain a suitable filling material for spondylodesis, one option is to take a piece of bone from another part of the body – usually the iliac crest – and insert it in place of the intervertebral disc. While this procedure shows good results for fusing the vertebrae, it often leads to considerable discomfort at the extraction site. Patients often complain of pain in this area for a long time after the procedure.
A very suitable alternative is implanting “cages” – these are basket-like space maintainers made of biocompatible materials. They provide sufficient stability and are well tolerated. Together with bone chips, which are produced during spondylodesis anyway, or with artificial substance mixtures that stimulate bone formation, they are inserted into the cleared disc space. There are clinical studies that attest to the very good results of the cage technique1. This means that the cages are just as effective as a piece of natural bone and offer the advantage that bone removal can be dispensed with. For the patient, this means a much shorter operation time and no risk of complications and pain at the extraction site.
A very suitable alternative is implanting “cages” – these are basket-like space maintainers made of biocompatible materials. They provide sufficient stability and are well tolerated. Together with bone chips, which are produced during spondylodesis anyway, or with artificial substance mixtures that stimulate bone formation, they are inserted into the cleared disc space. There are clinical studies that attest to the very good results of the cage technique1. This means that the cages are just as effective as a piece of natural bone and offer the advantage that bone removal can be dispensed with. For the patient, this means a much shorter operation time and no risk of complications and pain at the extraction site.
Bibliography
- Aaron R Cutler u. a., „Comparison of polyetheretherketone cages with femoral cortical bone allograft as a single-piece interbody spacer in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion“, Journal of Neurosurgery. Spine 5, Nr. 6 (Dezember 2006): 534-539.
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