4 Potential Causes of Back Pain After Spinal Fusion Surgery

The spine or backbone is a series of linked bones, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and other tissues extending from the bottom of your brain stem to the lower back. It protects the spinal cord and nerves, supports almost half the body weight, and allows you to stand upright. However, its function makes it susceptible to damage and various other conditions. Thus you may require the specialist services of  McNulty Spine. One of the popular treatments that you can benefit from is spinal fusion surgery. Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure involving a surgeon connecting two or more vertebral column bones.

As a result, the spinal column becomes more functional and stable, which reduces pain and discomfort. Spinal fusion surgery may be suitable for reshaping the spine, especially if you have a damaged disk or an abnormally curved spine.

Although spinal fusion surgery offers various benefits, still, you may feel pain or discomfort afterward. Subsequently, below are the common causes of back pain after spinal fusion surgery.

1. Failure of spinal bones fusion

Remember, spinal fusion is a surgical procedure linking two or more bones in any section of the spinal column. Sometimes, the bones may fail to fuse correctly through the bone graft.

As a result, because of the action of motion in the section where bones fail to fuse properly, your pain may feel like a broken bone that refuses to heal.

One of the reasons your spinal bones may incorrectly fuse through the bone graft is that you do not provide sufficient time for your body to heal.

Your spine surgeon can perform spinal fusion surgery again to ensure the correct fusion of spinal bones.

2.  Poor posture

Normally, a poor posture can lead to complications in the backbone, including back pain, spinal joint degeneration, and spinal dysfunction.

But, it is also possible for an improperly performed spinal fusion surgery or poor spinal bone fusion to cause the development of incorrect posture. That can lead to pain and discomfort, especially when sitting for an extended period.

A spine surgery specialist can perform another surgery to align your spinal column correctly.

3. Spinal arthritis or pinching of spinal nerves

If the diagnosis of your underlying spinal condition is not thorough, surgery may not fully alleviate your pain and discomfort.

Since spinal fusion surgery does not provide necessary relief, your back may be affected by other problems not treated, such as compression of spinal nerves or spinal arthritis. For instance, spinal arthritis is characterized by the swelling of the sacroiliac joints or the facet joints.

Your spinal surgeon may subject you to another comprehensive examination that will most likely find an issue missed earlier.

4. Hardware failure

During spinal fusion surgery, your surgeon will use different hardware, including screws, rods, and spacers, to provide fusion and stability. However, the implants may weaken and break with time, causing back pain, discomfort, and weakness.

If spinal bones have fused, your surgeon may remove unnecessary hardware that causes back pain.

Contact a specialist in spinal fusion surgery today to schedule an appointment and learn more about the treatment for back pain.