Thoracic Posterior Arthrodesis (1 Level)

Thoracic posterior arthrodesis is a spinal fusion (sometimes called a joint fusion) to surgically fuse one level of the middle spine. The surgeon manually straightens out the damaged joint, removes the cartilage, and then stabilizes the bones so that they heal together. This procedure may be needed in cases of trauma, where the thoracic spine is fractured, and screws and rods are needed as a buttress to provide support as an internal cast while the fracture heals.