This condition is also known as spondylolysis and is caused by a stress fracture in the bony bridge called the pars interarticularis that connects the facet joints. The pars interarticularis is a small bone located at the back of each lumbar vertebra, that helps to keep the vertebrae aligned properly.
Back fusion surgery involves immobilizing a motion-segment of the spine, usually performed with a combination of bone graft, hardware implants, which can include screws rods or plates, and an implant to replace the disc.
Sometimes patients feel that they initially improved after surgery but got worse again, that the pain never improved, or could be worse than before surgery. FBSS can occur after any type of spine surgery, such as spinal fusion, including cervical, thoracic, or lumbar fusion and/or decompression surgeries, which includes laminectomies and discectomies.
