Spinal fusion can provide long-term relief from back and nerve pain. Like any other surgery, however, fusion comes with a risk of complications. Adjacent segment disease is a sometimes-painful condition that can develop after spinal fusion.
NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Institute is a state-of-the-art pain center with locations near you in New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Find out how to prevent adjacent segment disease with surgical planning and follow-up care.
Key Takeaways
- Adjacent segment disease is a type of bone or disc degeneration that occurs due to increased stress on the spine after fusion surgery.
- Before treatment, choosing the right spine surgeon and planning procedures carefully can reduce a patient’s risk of adjacent segment disease.
- After treatment, patients can reduce spinal strain by controlling their weight, using proper body mechanics, avoiding tobacco, and prioritizing bone health.
What Is Adjacent Segment Disease?
Adjacent segment disease is a spine condition that is related to spinal fusion. The fusion procedure involves removing one or more spinal discs, then filling the gaps with a bone graft. Over time, the bone graft spurs new growth to fuse the vertebrae into one strong bone. This outcome eliminates pain by limiting movement between the vertebrae, providing long-lasting relief for conditions such as:
- Herniated disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Degenerative joint disease
- Spinal stenosis
- Scoliosis
- Kyphosis
- Failed back syndrome
While spinal fusion can reduce pain, it also changes the way the spine moves and supports weight. This change can create extra stress on the spine segments above and below the fusion. The extra stress accelerates degeneration, resulting in new pain, stiffness, and other symptoms. This degeneration is known as adjacent segment disease.
Not all patients feel pain from adjacent segment disease. For many, the degeneration is visible only with radiography (X-ray imaging). Even asymptomatic adjacent segment disease can be concerning, as it may cause complications down the road.
What Are the Risk Factors for Adjacent Segment Disease?
The first step to preventing adjacent segment disease is understanding its cause. While patients can’t always preserve normal back mechanics after surgery, they can take steps to mitigate risk factors and keep their spines resilient. The following factors can increase a patient’s risk of developing adjacent segment disease after fusion:
- Spinal misalignment
- More extensive fusions
- Older age
- Poor bone health
- High-impact activities
- Smoking
Patients have two important ways to reduce these risk factors: careful surgical planning and intentional recovery. Both steps are crucial to avoid long-term complications with spinal fusion surgery.
How Can Surgical Planning Help Prevent Adjacent Segment Disease?
Treatment planning is the first opportunity to reduce the risk of adjacent segment disease. Spinal misalignment and additional fused levels both contribute to higher incidents of pain. For this reason, it’s important to choose an experienced spine surgeon who can perform fusions without altering the spine’s alignment. It is also important to carefully plan the procedure. The surgeon should only operate on the levels required, leaving others untouched whenever possible.
Patients and surgeons should also consider motion-preserving options when appropriate. Artificial disc replacement is an alternative to fusion that offers long-term relief while maintaining the spine’s normal range of motion. It doesn’t alter spine mechanics or increase stress on the adjacent spinal segments, helping patients avoid adjacent segment disease.
What Can Patients Do After Fusion?
Adjacent segment disease prevention doesn’t end after treatment. The decisions patients make afterward can influence their risk of complications by increasing or reducing stress on the spine. Here are some steps patients can take to reduce spinal stress and improve their health:
- Controlling their weight
- Building core strength
- Participating in physical therapy
- Slowly increasing activity levels
- Following proper body mechanics
- Using correct posture
- Avoiding tobacco
- Eating a healthy diet
- Protecting their bone health
The patient’s physical therapist can guide them through core exercises, increasing activity levels, and body mechanics.
Find Expert Spine Surgery Near You in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida
With careful procedure planning and appropriate medical guidance, patients can prevent long-term complications from spinal fusion. Transform your life today with a touch of care at NU-Spine: The Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Institute. Experience the cutting edge in minimally invasive spine treatments, including spinal fusion, at one of NU-Spine’s locations near you in New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania. To learn more about our procedures and how to prevent adjacent segment disease, contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adjacent Segment Disease
How common is adjacent segment disease after spinal fusion?
The condition is relatively common. About 25% of patients develop adjacent segment disease within 10 years after spinal fusion.
Can adjacent segment disease be fully prevented?
Adjacent segment disease cannot always be fully prevented, but surgeons and patients can reduce the risk with careful planning and follow-up care.
What symptoms suggest a new adjacent level problem?
Symptoms that suggest a new spine problem include pain, stiffness, and burning sensations, tingling, or numbness in the arms or legs.
What are the treatment options if adjacent segment disease develops?
NU-Spine offers revision spine surgery to correct pain that returns after spine surgery, including adjacent segment disease.