MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Spinal fusion - series: Interbody cage fusion

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Medical Encyclopedia

Spinal fusion - series: Interbody cage fusion

Spinal fusion - seriesIllustrations:

Normal anatomy

Indications

Incision

Procedure: Posterolateral gutter fusion

Interbody cage fusion

Pedicle screw

Interbody cage fusion uses a hollow threaded titanium or carbon fiber cylinder to fuse two vertebrae together. The diseased disk is removed and two interbody cages are placed in the opening where the diseased disk has been removed. The cages are filled with bone graft. The bone grows through the holes in the cages fusing the vertebrae.

Update Date: 9/21/2006

Updated by: Jeffrey Kauffman, MD, Sacramento Knee and Sports Medicine, Sacramento, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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