Medical implants are specially designed to come in many shapes and sizes. Typically these include rods, hooks, braided cable, plates, screws, and more recently - threaded interbody cages. Spinal Fusion is a process using bone graft to cause two opposing bony surfaces to grow together. In medical terminology, this is called Arthrodesis. This experimental compound stimulates the body to make bone.
Instrumentation maintains spinal stability while facilitating the process of fusion.
Many patients state they actually feel more mobile because their pain has been reduced or eliminated. An Old Concept Made New Spinal instrumentation and fusion are not new surgical concepts. Although the first spinal fusion was performed almost 90 years ago, Dr. Paul Harrington developed spinal instrumentation in the late 1950's. During this time, many children stricken with polio developed spinal deformities. Rods were secured to the spine at two ends using hooks.