If your fusion surgery is a low back operation from the back, then bone can be taken from your pelvis in the back either through the same incision used for the spine surgery, or through a separate incision. The length of a bone graft incision depends on the amount of bone needed and the size of the patient. You will need to discuss your bone graft incision with your spine specialist to determine the length of the incision.
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When bone graft material is obtained from the posterior aspect of the iliac crest, it usually can be obtained through the same midline incision used to approach the spine. If the surgery is going to be performed in a minimally invasive manner, then the surgeon will make a small incision to access the spine and an additional incision over the posterior iliac crest to obtain the bone graft. If the patient is going to receive an anterior fusion, then two incisions are usually required: one in the left side or lower abdomen, and another one on the anterior iliac crest. That incision could be about 1 to 1-1/2 inches long, depending on the size and weight of the patient.
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This varies with surgeons and is directly dependent on the type and purpose of the bone graft. Often, the bone graft is harvested using the same incision as the actual spine surgery reaching underneath the skin to reach the iliac crest for harvest. However, in general, the hip graft incision is smaller than that for the actual spine surgery.
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The size of the incision at the hip is surgeon preference and can vary from a couple of inches to six inches.
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It depends on how many levels are being fused. You can sometimes extend the original incision, but we're talking several centimeters or several inches. Also, it is not so much the incision that is important it's the amount of bone, because with the larger amounts of bone, that is associated with increased muscle stripping. In order to have access to the bone of the iliac crest you have to strip the muscle off the bone. The muscle never fully re-attaches and is always a site of persistent discomfort. Or a sign of persistent discomfort for the majority of patients even after two years after surgery.
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The incision over the hip may vary from 2 to 4 inches.
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The incision is typically half the size of the incision made to perform the fusion surgery. Sometimes we are able to get the bone graft and perform the fusion surgery through the same incision.
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The bone graft incision is usually smaller than the spine approach incision. On occasion it may be taken through the same incision.
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For almost all spine surgeries, bone graft material can be obtained from the back of the pelvis through the same incision used to perform the spine surgery. It is rare that any additional incisions are needed.
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Sometimes you can get the bone graft with the same incision as the main surgical incision. When you can't, often the graft incision is very small. Generally it is smaller that the incision for the spine surgery.
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The incision for taking bone graft from the hip varies from utilizing the same incision the surgeon has utilized for exposure to the spine or a separate incision, which may be a few inches long. The patient should ask their surgeon about this.
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Usually the incision is only two inches in length, but if you need more bone it may be a little longer. Sometimes a surgeon can use the same incision from the main surgery so you don't have a separate incision on your hip. It depends on how much bone you need and whether you are going from the front or the back.
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Although many people refer to the donor site as the hip, it is actually the pelvis bone - above the hip joint. Sometimes the bone can be harvested through the same skin incision as the main surgery, and other times it requires a separate incision. The size of the incision depends on the amount of bone that is needed to be harvested- this generally depends on the number of levels being fused and the type of fusion (front, back, or both) that is being performed.
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Depending on the vertebral levels to be fused, the bone graft can sometimes be harvested from the same incision that is used to perform the fusion surgery. In this case, there is no separate incision required. If this is not possible, a separate 1-2 inch incision is required. Larger patients mat require a slightly larger incision.
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When taking bone from the hip, the graft can be removed through the same incision where the surgery is being performed in the back. At times, its best to place a new incision measuring approximately 2 to 4 inches over the hip bone to obtain the bone graft.
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The most common bone utilized is the pelvic bone, also known as the iliac bone. The bone is typically harvested some distance from the hip joint, but as the outer, lower portion of this bone forms part of the hip joint, it is often referred to as a "hip" graft. The size of the incision would be determined by how much bone needs to be harvested, as well as the thickness of soft tissue you have overlying the ilium.
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Often the bone graft incision is internal and is not visible. If it is a separate incision it is often just a few inches.
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Often the bone graft incision is internal and is not visible. If it is a separate incision it is often just a few inches.
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It's a much smaller incision. It's probably about 4 centimeters in length.
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The incision for your spine surgery will depend on the number of spinal levels to be fused. The incision for the bone graft can vary, but is generally 1½-2 inches long.
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