Spine Conditions and Procedures
Conditions
Adjacent Segment Disease
Adjacent segment disease is a progressed form of adjacent segment degeneration, a condition that often occurs after a spinal fusion or other back surgery. Permanently “locking” vertebrae together, spinal fusion puts increased stress on the spine, causing degeneration at an accelerated rate.
Adult Degenerative Scoliosis
Adult degenerative scoliosis is a condition where a right-left or lateral curve develops in a previously straight spine secondary to advanced degenerative disc disease. It can cause back and/or leg pain due to muscle fatigue and nerve impingement.
Degenerative Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a condition where one vertebra has slipped forward over another one below it. This misalignment can cause impingement of the spinal nerves and/or fatigue of the back muscles, and may result in lower back and/or leg pain. Degenerative spondylolisthesis is the most common form of the disorder.
Herniated Disc
A common source of back or neck pain is a herniated disc. Often referred to as a slipped or ruptured disc, it occurs when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes through a crack in the tougher exterior casing. Disc herniation is most often the result of a gradual, aging-related wear and tear called disc degeneration.
Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
Despite what the name suggests, lumbar degenerative disc disease is neither a true disease nor does it progressively worsen over time. Rather, lumbar degenerative disc disease refers to a condition in which age-related wear and tear on a spinal disc causes low back pain.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a gradual narrowing of the space where nerves pass through the spine. When this narrowing occurs, the spinal nerves and cord are compressed adding pressure, which may cause pain and/or nerve damage. It is likely the result of everyday wear and tear on the spine or can be due to long-standing trauma.
Myelopathy
Myelopathy is damage to the spinal cord due to severe compression often resulting from trauma, congenital stenosis, degenerative disease or disc herniation. Sometimes accompanied by radiculopathy, it can occur in any area of the spine: cervical, thoracic or lumbar.
Neck and Back Pain
An estimated 75 percent of Americans will experience neck and back pain during their lifetime. While it’s typically a result of an injury or trauma, a disorder such as degenerative disc disease (DDD), a tumor, osteoporosis, or arthritis, the root cause may stem from daily activities, a hereditary or congenital abnormality, or the natural aging process.
Radiculopathy
Radiculopathy describes symptoms produced by the pinching of a nerve root in the spinal column. Sciatica is one of the most common types of radiculopathy and refers to pain that originates in your lower back and travels through your buttocks and down the sciatic nerve – the largest single nerve in the body.
Procedures
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
ACDF is a neck surgery to remove a damaged, arthritic, or herniated disc and relieve chronic pain in the neck and back. In this procedure, an incision is made in the front (anterior) throat area to reach the front of the spine. The disc is removed and a graft is implanted that will fuse the bones above and below.
Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
ALIF is a spine surgery to relieve pain and other symptoms caused by a problem in the low back. In this procedure, an incision is made in the front (anterior) abdominal region in order to remove a spinal disc in the lower (lumbar) spine. A bone graft stimulates new bone growth leading to fusion.
Cervical Laminectomy
A cervical laminectomy widens the spinal canal in order to relieve pressure caused by cervical stenosis. The surgical procedure involves removing the part of the vertebra that covers the spinal cord, the lamina, along with the bony protrusion attached to it. A cervical spinal fusion may be needed after the laminectomy.
Discectomy
A discectomy is a surgical procedure to relieve pressure on a spinal nerve caused by a herniated disc. Ideally, only the fragment of disc that is pinching the nerve is removed, leaving most of the disk intact. If the entire disc is removed, a bone graft leading to spinal fusion may be needed.
Interlaminar Lumbar Instrumented Fusion (ILIF)
ILIF is a surgical technique to treat back pain caused by spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and degenerative arthritis. A minimally invasive procedure, the removal of small sections of bone and/or ligaments decompresses the spine and relieves pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. A small plate is implanted to stabilize and promote fusion.
Laminectomy
A laminectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the lamina, the back part of a vertebra that covers your spinal canal. This removal creates space in your spinal canal, which can relieve pressure caused by bony overgrowths on the spinal cord or nerves.
Maximum Access Surgery (MAS) Thoracolumbar Posterior Fixation
MAS thoracolumbar posterior fixation is a minimally disruptive approach to traditional back surgery. It is intended to provide realignment, immobilization and stabilization of spinal segments throughout the healing process, allowing fusion to occur.
Maximum Access Surgery Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MAS PLIF)
MAS PLIF attempts to eliminate instability in the back and pain in the lower back and lower extremities by using a less disruptive approach to decompress nerve roots. During the procedure, the damaged disc is removed from between two vertebrae in the lower back. The vertebrae are then fused together to reduce motion.
Maximum Access Surgery Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MAS TLIF)
MAS TLIF is a surgical technique that typically involves removing a degenerative disc to relieve pressure on nerve roots in the lumbar spine. It attempts to eliminate instability in the back by using a less invasive approach to fuse one or more vertebrae together and reduce range of motion.
Posterior Cervicothoracic Fusion (PCF)
PCF is a surgical procedure performed through the back of the neck to provide stability. A bone graft is placed, and often screws or surgical wire is used, to address conditions like degenerative disc disease, dislocation, fractures, instability and soft disc herniation. PCF is often performed in combination with a decompression surgery.
eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF)
XLIF is a minimally disruptive technique performed through the side of the body, avoiding the major muscles of the back and minimizing risk of vascular and/or neural injury. In this procedure, a disc in the front of the spine is removed and replaced with an implant containing a bone graft for spinal fusion.