Adjacent segment disease is a progressed form of adjacent segment degeneration, a condition that often occurs after a spinal fusion or other back surgery. Spinal fusion is surgery that is typically performed when vertebrae become so unstable that movement affects the nerves or causes pain. Using hardware and bone grafts to permanently “lock” two or more vertebrae together, a spinal fusion makes the damaged section of spine immovable. This forced lack of movement puts increased stress at the remaining adjacent levels of the spine, causing degeneration at an accelerated rate.
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