Brian Klagges, MD, has distinguished himself as the first physician in New Hampshire to perform a lumbar facet arthrodesis. Dr. Brian Klagges continues to offer this procedure as part of his work as a pain interventionalist at Amoskeag Anesthesia in Manchester.
There are 24 independently moving vertebrae in the human spine. Between and to the back of each pair lie the two facet joints. Locted on either side of the intervertebral disc, the facet joints work with ligaments to enable flexion, bending, and rotation of the spine.
Over time, the daily stress on these joints can lead to degeneration. The cartilage and fluid that protects the joint may wear away, causing a bone-on-bone situation or an enlargement of the joint. When this happens, the patient often begins to experience pain with movement.
If non-surgical treatments fail to relieve this pain, lumbar facet arthrodesis may be an option. This specialized spinal fusion procedure permanently connects two facet joints in the lower spine, so as to eliminate motion in the joint and prevent associated discomfort.
The procedure requires the surgeon to remove the joint material that is compressing the nerve, re-align the spine, and insert an implant that contains bone graft material. Over time, the graft encourages the growth of new bone that permanently fuses the vertebrae on either side.
