Spinal Fusion for Work Injury

Kentucky workers’ compensation claims are filed for a wide variety of injuries.  Back and neck injuries are common and can be severe.  One specific treatment for workers who’ve sustained a spinal fracture is known as a spinal fusion.

Spinal fusion is a procedure in which two or more vertebrae are connected together to reduce movement.  The connection generally includes a small piece of bone harvested from another place in the body (e.g. a pelvic bone).  Pieces can also be harvested from a cadaver or created artificially.

The small piece of harvested bone is placed between the injured vertebrae.  This promotes stability and also helps them to grow together into a single, solid piece of bone.  Once the grafted bone is positioned, the surgeon may use rods, plates and screws to stabilize the area.

If you’d like to watch a brief video animation, it’s provided below, courtesy of Video Health Solutions, Inc.:

While a spinal fusion does result in limiting motion, unless several vertebrae are fused, the decrease in range of motion may be minimal.  The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons  has a good description of this procedure on its website.

It’s possible that an injured worker may be able to return to work after fully healing from spinal fusion surgery.  However, depending upon the extent of the remaining range of motion and flexibility, he/she may not be able to return to the same type of job.

Kentucky workers’ compensation benefits are available to pay for the medical expenses and rehabilitation, if it can be proven that the injury happened on the job.  Additionally, workers’ compensation benefits may be able to pay for lost wages if the injured worker is unable to return to work.

The Scheynost Law Offices has helped injured, Kentucky workers for over 25 years.  Attorney Scott Scheynost has the experience to file your workers’ compensation claim and present the necessary medical evidence to the judge.  You can contact Scott at (502) 937-6053.