Multilevel Disc Surgery

The spine contains six motion levels, which are areas between specific vertebrae that allow the spine to bend freely, according to Spine-Health. When these areas become weak or injured, multilevel disc surgery can fuse two or more of these levels together.

Reasons

• Multilevel disc surgery can repair a deformed, unstable or injured spine, adding new structural strength between the motion levels. As described by Spine-Health, bone grafts between the vertebrae fuse the vertebrae into a single bone formation.

Procedures

• Surgeons can fuse the vertebrae between two motion segments either from within the bones--a procedure called interbody fusion--or simply by joining the segments from the back of the spine in a procedure called a facet fusion. In some cases, the patient may receive both procedures simultaneously to ensure a strong fusion.

Considerations

• While spinal fusions can add stability and strength to the area of the spine in question, they are not as effective in treating back pain, and doctors tend to use them as a last resort for that condition. Fusion of more than two motion levels can actually cause more pain, as well as stiffness and extra stress on other parts of the spine.