Severely painful disc conditions causing low back pain with or without leg pain were commonly treated with an operation called spinal fusion. Spinal fusion is the classic solution for many of these problems and can be quite effective. Unfortunately, spinal fusion (which is the welding of two vertebra together) has a number of unintended side effects. These include
• the fusion failing to heal which means a second fusion may be necessary
• the discs next to the fusion have to perform increased work leading to early deterioration which may become painful and result in a second operation
• with two or more vertebrae fused (welded) together the patient has a chronic sense of stiffness or heaviness in the low back accompanied by loss of motion
• this loss of motion leads to difficulties in our daily activities of living
• sometimes spinal fusions performed with an incision on the low back can cause irreversible damage to the muscles on the back of the spine and the nerves going to those muscles. This condition renders the muscles on the back of the spine incapable of functioning properly and at times is very painful. This condition is referred to as " fusion disease".
• in order to fuse (weld) two or more vertebra together, relatively large metal devices must be implanted. These devices can impact on structures next to them. In the low back metal rods and screws can lead to inflammation or a bursitis-type situation or arthritis at the small joints next to them. These conditions can be difficult and sometimes painful to live with
• many times, when considering the painful disc is the problem, spinal fusion not only has to include the disk that's causing the problem but also the surrounding structures. This is more of the "shotgun approach" to correcting the problem rather than a surgical remedy that focuses solely on the painful disc and does not include the surrounding structures
• in order to fuse two or more vertebrae together bone graft is needed. This bone can come from the patient however, having bone taken from one part of the body and placed in another can be quite painful and at times disabling. Cadaver bone or bone from the bone bank is commonly used however there have been occasions when tainted bone has been inadvertently implanted in patients leading to severe complications