Spinal fusion is a surgical technique in which one or more of
the vertebrae of the spine are “fused” together so that motion
no longer occurs between them. By using bone grafts that are
placed around the spine during surgery, the body then heals the
grafts over several months – similar to healing a fracture.
There are many surgical approaches and methods available to fuse
the spine, and they all involve placement of a bone graft
between the vertebrae. The spine may be approached and the graft
placed either from the back or from the front or by a
combination of both. The ultimate goal of spinal fusion is to
achieve a solid union between two or more vertebrae. A spinal
fusion may or may not involve use of hardware such as plates,
screws and cages. This use of hardware is sometimes used to
correct a deformity, but usually is used as an internal splint
to hold the vertebrae together to while the bone grafts heal.
Whether or not hardware is used, it is important that bone or
bone substitutes be used to get the ver