Spinal decompression and fusion

It is the most common spine surgery performed in the U.S., and it’s performed to take pressure off of “pinched” nerves and/or the spinal cord and to stabilize the spine. During the procedure, pressure is relieved, and the spine is stabilized using hardware that is anchored to bony elements of the spine. This procedure combines decompression and spine stabilization.

The most common cause of pressure on the spinal cord/nerves is degenerative disc disease. Other common causes include disc herniation, spinal stenosis, trauma, and spinal tumors. Spinal stenosis results from bony growths (osteophytes) or thickened ligaments that cause narrowing of the spinal canal over time.