The entire spine could experience problems with injury but one of the more common areas where it occurs is in the lower back, also known as the lumbar spine. Issues associated with the lumbar spine can certainly affect your quality of life and may result in more than just a lot of pain in the local area. Since you are dealing with nerves that are pinched in the area, you may also experience problems with numbness or tingling down the legs and in some cases, neurologic symptoms may also be a problem that could include a loss of bladder control.
Procedures
One of the many different options that are available for treating this type of conditions is a lumbar posterior spinal fusion. This type of procedure is often considered when there is a problem with the intervertebral disc in the area. This disc could become damaged as a result of injury or misuse of the back during lifting and in some cases, it may also occur as we age. In any case, it may be necessary to remove the disc from the space but then you would have a problem because the vertebrae would be coming in direct contact with each other.
One of the options that may be available to those who have to have such a discectomy done is for a spinal fusion to take place. In this particular type of procedure, two of the vertebrae are fused together so that they don’t move independently of each other but rather, they are attached firmly to each other. This can be done the in a number of different ways but one of the options is to use the posterior lumbar spinal fusion surgery. During this type of surgical procedure, the vertebrae are fused but they are done so in a rather unique way.
After the spine has been approached during this surgery, the laminectomy takes place that removes the lamina and allows the surgeon to see the nerve roots. The facet joints are over the nerve roots and these may also need to be trimmed in order to allow the nerve roots to have the room that they need. After the disc space is cleaned up of all of the disc material, a cage is made out of a bone graft and then it is inserted into the space where the disc used to exist. Eventually, this causes a new bone to grow in the place and it effectively fuses the vertebrae together permanently.
North Texas Spine & Brain Surgeon
This is not an uncommon procedure, and many people in Frisco, Plano, McKinney and throughout the Dallas Metroplex have had this procedure done in the past. Although you can choose any number of different doctors to perform it, Dr. Rob Dickerman is the one that will give you the option you really want. Not only is he a board certified neurologic and spine surgeon, he has won many awards as being one of the top options in the United States for this type of surgery.
