The spine is incredibly complex, an injury or degeneration in different areas of the spine can present symptoms in various other parts of the body, such as the neck, back arms, and/or legs.If you have been dealing with chronic neck or back pain and nothing seems to help, your doctor may recommend that you consider spinal fusion surgery.

Degenerative diseases or other injury can wear away the cartilage, allowing movement to occur between the vertebrae.  This movement can cause severe pain or further injury to the spine.  Spinal fusion permanently joins segments of the spinal column, limiting this painful and harmful movement.  This fusion is typically created by placing a bone graft between the diseased vertebrae.

Surgeons for spinal fusion will take into consideration factors of age, medical history, current health, and other conditions that may affect your level of risk during the surgery.  Robin Stoloff talks with Barrett Woods, Orthopedic Surgeon at The Rothman Institute, about new advancements in this procedure.

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