Because Dr. Blankenship takes a conservative approach to any type of spine surgery, a spinal fusion will be recommended only after other non-surgical treatments have failed, or if your condition can only be improved through surgery.

Some of the potential reasons Dr. Blankenship may consider spinal fusion surgery include:

• Some types of vertebral fracture
• Correction of a deformity such as scoliosis
• Elimination of pain from painful motion
• Vertebral slippage (spondylolisthesis)
• reatment of instability
• Treatment of some cervical disc herniations.