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Alternative to Lumbar Fusion

According to Spineuniverse.com, there are 65 million Americans who suffer from lower back pain every year. While a majority of people can alleviate pain through nonsurgical methods, more severe cases may require surgery. Spinal fusion is a common surgery that is performed on more than 200,000 people every year. During the procedure, two or more vertebrae are merged together to help strengthen the spine and alleviate back pain. However, lumbar fusion isn't the only method to alleviate chronic back pain, and it is important to consider all other options before a lumbar fusion is performed.

  1. Artificial Discs

    • Artificial discs are one alternative to spinal fusion surgery. The affected disc is removed and replaced by a healthy artificial disc. Unlike spinal fusion surgery, the procedure will not inhibit the motion of the spine.

      Artificial disc surgery is thought to have several advantages to spinal fusion surgery. First, since spine motion is maintained after surgery, some doctors believe it reduces the risk of other vertebrae from wearing down prematurely. In addition, artificial disc surgery is thought to achieve better pain reduction than lumbar fusion.

      However, there are potential risks associated with artificial disc surgery. Several cases have been reported where the implanted disc slipped out of place, causing emergency surgery to fix the complication. There may also be other complications that are often associated with surgical procedures like incision problems, infection, allergic reactions to the implant, or paralysis.

    Intradiscal Electrothermal Coagulation (IDET)

    • IDET is another alternative to spinal fusion surgery. During this procedure, a needle is inserted into the lumbar region, which sends heat to the outer section of the disc space. While doctors do not have a concrete reason as to why this procedure works, most believe the heat causes collagen fibers to thicken, which then cause the tears and cracks in the vertebrae to seal.

      Unfortunately, this procedure has not shown to significantly benefit people who are suffering from severe disc degeneration. And because IDET has little proof of its effectiveness, most insurance companies no longer cover the procedure.

    Posterior Dynamic Stabilization

    • Posterior dynamic stabilization is a procedure where a medical device is used to reduce pressure from the vertebral disc. According to Dr. McAfee from spine-health.com, the effect of this procedure acts the same way as a brace works to remove pressure from an injured knee or ankle. Therefore, the goal of posterior dynamic stabilization is to release pressure for the spine so that it can properly heal and reduce pain. However, this procedure is still developing, so the effectiveness and potential risks associated with it are undetermined.

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