Spine Fusion & Disc Replacement

Spinal fusion and artificial disc replacement are surgical procedures performed to address painful, unstable, or neurologically compromising spinal conditions that have failed conservative management. Fusion involves permanently joining two or more adjacent vertebrae using bone graft and instrumentation — screws, rods, and cages — eliminating painful motion at the affected segment while stabilising the spine and decompressing nerve structures.

At SilverOak Health, spinal fusion is performed using minimally invasive techniques wherever anatomically feasible, including tubular retractor-based posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF/TLIF) and lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF). These approaches dramatically reduce muscle damage, blood loss, and post-operative pain compared to conventional open surgery, enabling same-day or next-day mobilisation and significantly faster return to function. Navigation-assisted and robotic-guided screw placement ensures millimetre-accurate implant positioning.

Artificial disc replacement (cervical or lumbar) offers an alternative to fusion for appropriate candidates with single or two-level degenerative disc disease, preserving natural segmental motion and potentially reducing the risk of adjacent segment disease over time. Our spine surgeons carefully evaluate each patient's anatomy, radiological findings, and functional demands to determine whether fusion or disc replacement offers the superior long-term outcome. A comprehensive multidisciplinary spine clinic — including physiotherapy, pain management, and psychology — ensures that surgery is recommended only when the full conservative pathway has been appropriately explored.