Pseudarthrosis: An Unsuccessful Spinal Fusion
It's unfortunate when a patient comes to see me for back pain, and I find that they have pseudarthrosis – when two or more bones do not successfully fuse together.…
Sacroiliac Joint Fusion (Part 2/2)
(Part 2/2) For our second sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion, this patient has severe osteoarthritis of the SI joint. Today we're starting on the right joint and in a month, we'll…
Sacroiliac Joint Fusion (Part 1/2)
(Part 1/2) When I first started in spine surgery, having sacroiliac (SI) joint instability wasn't accepted as a potential condition. But times have changed, and today we're performing two sacroiliac…
This Is A Sign: A Modic Sign
This is a sign. A modic sign! Modic signs are visible on MRIs and signal inflammation, degeneration, or other changes in bone marrow which contribute to lower back pain and…
Anterior Fusion – Spinal Plate (Part 2)
Standalone implants are strong but when next to a fusion, they need to be even stronger. I inserted a spinal plate to add further strength and stability. See the difference?…
Anterior Fusion Surgery
No pain, no gain...unless it's bilateral arm pain as the result of a herniated disc, then it's a problem we need to address. In this scan you can see the…
Spine Plates and Spinal Fusion
When it comes to spine plates, size and placement are crucial. After a patient with a previous spinal fusion suffered disc herniations and horrific headaches, I examined the previous surgeon's…
Minimally Invasive Spine Fusion
Life is scary enough without severe back pain haunting you. In this case, my patient had a previously fractured L5 vertebrae that, due to adjacent segment degeneration, now needs fusion…
Healthy Disc Height vs Problematic Disc Height
In this Anterior Cervical Discectomy & Fusion, I removed a herniated disc and re-established the disc height to stabilize the patient's neck and relieve the nerves extending through the patient's…
Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusions
I love being a spine surgeon and seeing how far we've come with expanding minimally invasive procedures! This was such an informative lab session with Dr Charles E. Shuff, MD about…
