Thank you, Dr. Corenman.
Just a few more questions to clarify…
If an interbody fusion is not done in, say, the C-spine and the discs are left intact, and morselized laminectomy bone from other regions such as the T-spine is packed into central regions of cervical lamina (those that are remaining) and also packed into decorticated facets to create the C-spine fusion, my curiosity is why some of this bone cannot be ground off to restore movement ability over motion segments.
I understand that grinding on or otherwise “roughing up” a bone surface promotes osteoblast activity and the synthesis of more mineral bony matrix, but if bone creating the fusion is ground off the facets and the lamina that remain, can a barrier that inhibits the bone growth be placed over the areas from which the bone was ground off? Can a bone wax, in other words, be used, and if the facets have been decorticated can they be remodeled and/or remobilized? I assume that decortication of the facets does not entirely destroy the actual facet joint surfaces themselves?
Maybe I just need to come observe some surgeries, haha! That would be really helpful.
My Best,
Kendra