Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

The TLIF technique involves the reaching of the vertebrae through an incision from the side of the spinal canal through a midline incision on the patient’s back.

This approach reduces greatly the amount of surgical muscle dissection and minimizes the nerve manipulation required to access the vertebrae, discs, and nerves

Spinal fusion is a surgical technique in which two or more vertebrae fuse to prevent movement between them. It is usually recommended for:

• Abnormal curvatures of the spine, such as scoliosis or kyphosis
• Injury to the vertebrae of the spine
• Protrusion in the discs that act as buffers between the vertebrae (such as the sliding of a disc or a herniated nucleus pulposus)
• Instability or weakness of the spine caused by infections or by a tumor

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) is a type of spinal fusion that utilizes an anterior (front – through the abdominal region) approach to fuse lumbar and spine bones.

Interbody fusion means that the intervertebral disc is removed and replaced with a bone (or metal) spacer, using an anterior approach.

The technique mentioned above is often favored when multiple spinal levels are being fused and multiple discs need to be removed.. 

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) is a fusion technique in which the vertebrae are reached through an incision on the patient’s back.

Kyphoplasty is used to treat painful vertebral crushing of the spine. In a vertebral crush, all or part of the spinal bone collapses. The procedure is also called balloon kyphoplasty.

This procedure is performed in a hospital or outpatient clinic. The patient may be given a local anesthetic (he or she will be awake and will not be able to feel pain).

The health care provider cleans the area of the back and applies medicine to numb it. Then, a needle is inserted through the skin to the vertebra.

Real-time X Rays are used to guide the doctor to the correct area in the lower back. A balloon is placed through the needle into the bone and then inflated.

This restores the height of the vertebrae. Then, cement is injected into the space to make sure it does not collapse again

It is often an ambulatory procedure that is used to treat painful vertebral crushing in the spine. A vertebral crush occurs when all or part of a bone in the spine collapses.

The vertebroplasty is performed in a hospital or outpatient clinic.

You may be given a local anesthetic (you will be awake and will not be able to feel pain). You may also receive medication to help you relax and feel sleepy.

The health care provider cleans the back area  and applies medicine to numb it.

The procedure is similar to kyphoplasty.

Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF) can be utilized to access the anterior column of the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine.

The advantages of this minimally invasive technique include avoidance of the need for an access surgeon and lung deflation during surgery, as well as excellent visualization of the spinal pathology.

It is a displacement of disc material (nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosis) beyond the intervertebral disc space. The diagnosis can be confirmed by radiological examination.

Some of the symptoms are:

• Pain when moving the neck
• Pain near the shoulder blade
• Shooting pain down the arm and into the fingers
• Numbness in the shoulder, elbow, forearm, or fingers
• Pain in the leg, hip, or buttocks
• Pain or numbness in the back of the calf or sole
• Weakness in one leg

It is a condition in which a bone (vertebra) in the spine moves forward out of its proper position onto the bone below it. The symptoms can vary from mild to severe.

This condition can lead to an increase in lordosis (also called hyperlordosis). In the final stages, it can cause kyphosis (round back) as the upper column descends on the lower column.

• Symptoms can include any of the following:
• Pain in the lower back
• Muscle tension (tight hamstrings)
• Pain, numbness or tingling in the thighs and buttocks
• Rigidity
• Sensitivity in the area of the vertebra that is out of place
• Weakness in the legs

It is a disorder in which there is a sideways curve of the spine, often S-shaped or C-shaped. If there are symptoms, these may include:

• Back pain or low back pain that goes down to the legs
• Weakness in the spine after standing or sitting for a long time
• Shoulders or hips that look uneven (one shoulder may be higher than the other)
• The curvature of the column further to one side

It is a disorder in which there is a sideways curve of the spine, often S-shaped or C-shaped. If there are symptoms, these may include:

• Back pain or low back pain that goes down to the legs
• Weakness in the spine after standing or sitting for a long time
• Shoulders or hips that look uneven (one shoulder may be higher than the other)
• The curvature of the column further to one side

This occurs secondary to an axial/compressive (and to a lesser extent, flexion) load with resultant biomechanical failure of the bone, resulting in a fracture. 

Compression fractures can occur suddenly. The pain is felt mostly in the middle or lower part of the spine. It can also be felt on the sides or front.

They are often discovered when x-rays of the spine are taken for other reasons.

Over time, the following symptoms may occur:

• Back pain that increases when walking or moving, but is not felt when resting
• Loss of height, up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) over time
• Weakness
• Difficulty to walk
• Loss of sphincter control