Written by Choll W. Kim, MD, PhD
The treatment of spinal disorders is complex and must be individualized to each patient’s unique circumstances. In simple terms, the purpose of fusion surgery is to realign a spinal deformity and/or stabilize a segment of the spine to prevent painful motion (or micro-motion). The most common reasons for performing fusion surgery are:
- Spondylolisthesis
- Degenerative scoliosis with lateral listhesis
- 1 or 2-level painful degenerative disc disease
Fusion Surgery for Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a forward slippage of one vertebral body. Spondylolisthesis occurs in both younger and older patients, and causes pain in the low back (lumbar spine) to radiate downward in the legs. Fusion surgery is limited to the area that is malaligned—usually at a single level.
