PLIF

We often think of our spine as operating as a collective unit. But, your backbone actually consists of 24 moveable joints. These joints are formed by the meeting (or articulation) of two vertebrae. Under normal circumstances, we don’t notice the parts that make up the whole. That is, we don’t notice the individual vertebrae that make up our spine. But, when we’re in pain? We tend to feel everything.

A secondary spinal tumor occurs when a cancer metastasizes (or spreads) to the spine from another area of the body. By far and away the leading cause of spine cancer, secondary tumors account for more than 90% of all spinal tumors. But, how do these tumors spread from point A to point B in the first place? Abnormal cells can spread to the spine through the bloodstream, where they take…

Scoliosis occurs when a child (or an adult) develops an abnormal sideways bend in his or her spine. If scoliosis emerges between the ages of 10 - 18, then we say that the child has “adolescent scoliosis.” If the cause of the scoliosis is unknown (as is often the case), then we additionally say that the child has adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (or AIS).

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