What is a lumbar laminectomy?

The surgical operation lumbar laminectomy, also known as open decompression, is used to alleviate the symptoms of central spinal stenosis or constriction of the spinal canal. The lamina (posterior section of the vertebra) is either fully or partially removed to make room for the compressed spinal cord or nerve roots. Occasionally, it is necessary to remove disc material. This treatment entails packing bone graft (from your pelvis or spine) or synthetic bone graft around the spine to produce a robust bony fusion across the unstable regions. To strengthen the stability, titanium screws and rods are commonly used. The lumbar disc is sometimes removed and replaced with a plastic cage containing bone transplant.

What is spinal fusion?

A posterior fusion of the spine may be required if your spine is unstable. Spinal fusion is a procedure that permanently joins two or more vertebrae in your spine, preventing them from moving. The purpose is to reduce back pain by preventing mobility between the two bones. This prevents you from stretching surrounding nerves, ligaments, or muscles, which could cause pain. There are several approaches to lumbar spinal fusion surgery. However, they all involve injecting bone graft into a segment of the spine, triggering a biological response that causes the bone graft to grow between the two vertebral elements to form a bone fusion, which results in one fixed bone replacing a mobile joint, stopping motion at that joint segment.

What is central spinal stenosis?

The central spinal canal is confined by increased ligament and bone overgrowth, producing compression of the spinal cord and cauda equina, resulting in central stenosis. Spinal stenosis occurs when the gaps between the vertebrae narrow, putting pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots.