title: Nonunion of the spine: a review.
abstract: Originally described for the treatment of tuberculosis of the spine, spinal fusion has become a widely done procedure for various spinal disorders. Among other indications, spinal fusion is used for treatment of degenerative disc disease, congenital and developmental deformities such as scoliosis, and spinal instability secondary to trauma. One of the most common complications of spinal fusion is nonunion. The incidence of nonunion has been reported as high as 56% in the lumbar spine. Recognizing and treating nonunion of the spine may be crucial in preventing progressive deformity in identifying instrumentation failure, and in relieving persistent pain. The purpose of this article was to review the clinical evaluation and significance of failed union.
authors.affiliation: Leni and Peter W May Department of Orthopaedics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Job
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dorcil
authors.forename: Timothy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Radomisli
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome