Spondylolisthesis and Posterior Lumbar Fusion Baltimore MD

The spinal column is really one of the wonders of the biological sciences.  It contains both soft and bony structures, with some soft structures being used to cushion various bony parts that have to fit exactly together, and other soft structures being a part of the central nervous system.  The spine connects directly to the skull at its top-most point, just as the spinal cord connects directly to the brain stem.  All of the information coming and going from the brain to the body and the body to the brain passes through the spine.  Because the spine is such an important and complicated structure with so many working and moving parts, there are obviously an almost infinite number of things that can go wrong with it.

Spondylolisthesis Baltimore

When one of the vertebrae slips forward and is no longer in its proper place in the spinal structure, this is called spondylolisthesis.  It can happen for any obvious reason, like an accident or injury, or, sometimes, it happens spontaneously.  It can occur at any point in the spine, but is much more common near the bottom.  This part is called the lumbar area.  Symptoms range from mild to severe pain in the back to no symptoms at all.  Some cases involve pain in the legs and other lower extremities.

Posterior Lumbar Fusion Baltimore

When cases of spondylolisthesis are ongoing and unbearably painful, without having been relieved by less invasive treatments like exercise programs or injections of steroid-type medication, Posterior Lumbar Fusion Baltimore MD may be considered.  This is a surgical intervention in which the orthopedic or neurological surgeon makes an incision in the patient's back in order to stabilize the spine.  The stabilization occurs first with medical rods and screws, and later through the growth of bone graft material that is placed at the same time.  The aim of the posterior lumbar fusion surgery Baltimore is to get individual vertebrae to fuse together into a single piece of bone that will hold the spinal column straight and allow nerves structures to have room to be contained without constriction and resulting discomfort.