Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

If you’re in need of spinal surgery to address a stability issue, there’s a good chance your surgeon will insert some type of hardware to help secure specific areas during your operation. But what types of hardware may be used, and what functions do they perform to ensure your surgery is a success? In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the purpose of different types of spinal hardware.

Common Pieces Of Spinal Hardware

Let’s take a closer look at five types of spinal hardware and surgical equipment that may be used to restore height, stabilize the spine or hold structures in place while healing runs its course:

• Rods – A surgical rod is a long and thin metal support piece that is attached to screws to aid in stabilization. They are routinely used during spinal curvature procedures (scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, etc.) or to provide added support following a spinal decompression procedure or fusion. Similar to a beam in a home’s foundation, rods typically aim to prevent horizontal shifting.
• Pedicle Screws – Specific screws called pedicle screws hold rods and other types of surgical hardware in place. Just like screws you use around the house, they anchor objects in place and provide strong fixation and stability to the spine. They help prevent other hardware from shifting and allow for precision placement of other types of spinal hardware, ensuring ideal spinal alignment. They are common in spinal fusion procedures and when rods need to be inserted within the spine.
• Cages – Cages, sometimes referred to as interbody spacers, help to maintain alignment, spacing and height in a specific location. They are typically inserted after a degenerative spinal disc has been removed to restore proper disc height in the affected area. This also maintains proper spacing between vertebrae so that they don’t suffer as a result of taking on more stress due to a loss in natural spinal canal spacing. Cages can also be filled with bone grafting material, an item you’ll read about next, to allow nearby areas to naturally fuse together over time.
• Bone Grating Material – Bone grafting material is essentially crushed up bone material that is similar in purpose to fertilizer in your garden. Bone grafting material stimulates bone growth and healing, similar to how fertilizer helps plants grow. The material can be harvested from a living person or a cadaver and inserted into a specific part of the spine to speed up the healing process. Bone grafting material is oftentimes inserted into cages or following the removal of a vertebrae or disc to help remodel the area. New bone will grow, fusing nearby structures into one larger piece of bone, restoring strength and height in the area while sacrificing some mobility in the region. It is commonly used in spinal fusion and discectomy procedures.
• Plates – Finally, a plate is a flat metal piece that is commonly used during procedures on the cervical (neck) portion of the spine. Plates help to secure screws and grafts in place while providing additional support to unstable segments, aiming to prevent excessive movement during vulnerable stages of healing. They are typically used during Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) surgery.

To learn more about different types of spinal hardware, or for help with a different spinal issue, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (65!) 430-3800.

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