Bone Spurs on the Spine

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Find out if you're a candidate for a minimally invasive alternative to open neck or back surgery

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Bone Spurs on the Spine

Bone spurs on the spine form when two bones rub against one another, and they are actually a raised bump on the bone rather than a pointed shape as the name suggests. They can form between vertebrae and on the facet joint bones, and as they grow, they can begin to put pressure on the spinal cord or nearby nerve roots, resulting in pain and other symptoms.

Risk factors for bone spurs include:

Excess weight - Carrying even just a few extra pounds can exacerbate the wear and tear in the spine that causes bone spurs.
Age - As the body ages, cartilage in the spine degenerates, and if it does so to the point that bones rub against one another, bone spurs can form as a protective measure.
Participation in sports - Sports requiring repetitive motion and contact sports like football can accelerate spinal conditions and can result in the development of bone spurs.
Genetics - Some people are simply predisposed to develop bone spurs on the spine due to the genes passed down by their family.

Surgeries to Treat Bone Spurs on the Spine

There are two main options for surgical treatment of bone spurs: open back and neck surgery, and minimally invasive procedures. The main differences include:

Recovery time - Open back and neck surgeries have a recovery time of six months or more, whereas endoscopic surgery allows most patients to return to normal activities within just a few weeks.
Anesthesia - Minimally invasive techniques allow for use of IV sedation and local anesthesia rather than the general anesthesia required for open surgeries.
Inpatient versus outpatient - Endoscopic spine surgery is performed on an outpatient basis with patients usually being released within hours after their surgery, while open back and neck surgeries require a hospital stay of multiple days.
Incision - The incision for endoscopic procedures is just a few centimeters long, which is much shorter than the incision required for open surgeries.

To learn more about minimally invasive spine procedures at Laser Spine Institute, or to request a complimentary review of your CT scan or MRI by one of our expert spine doctors, contact us. Having performed tens of thousands of these procedures to treat bone spurs and more spine conditions, Laser Spine Institute is the leader in endoscopic spine surgery.

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