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Spine Conditions A-Z

More Bone Spurs Information

Spinal Bone Spurs


When Does Spinal Bone Spur Surgery Become Necessary?

If after 6 – 8 weeks of conservative treatment fail to relieve your pain, spinal bone spur surgery may be the next proper course of treatment. Loss of coordination in your arms or legs, however, might indicate the need to undergo bone spur surgery sooner. This decision should be an educated one, made with the help of a doctor. For most people, conservative treatment will provide enough relief from their symptoms and will not require bone spur removal surgery.

What Are the Available Spinal Bone Spurs Surgery Options?

The main purpose of spinal bone spur surgery is to remove the bone spurs and to repair the damage areas, if necessary. Bone spur removal and any necessary spinal repair can be accomplished with either open spine surgery, or minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery.

With traditional open spine surgery, the surgeon makes an incision in the skin, cuts through muscle and surrounding structures to gain access to the bone spur, whereas with minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery, the surgeon needs only a small incision to gain access to the bone spur. Compared with open spine surgery, minimally invasive endoscopic surgery is associated with high success rates, minimal to no blood loss, a fast recovery, no need for general anesthesia, no hospitalization, and many other advantages.

At Atlantic Spine Center, our endoscopic spine surgeons accomplish bone spur removal endoscopically, meaning the surgeon makes a microscopic incision to visualize and approach the bone spur with the assistance of a tiny camera. Our innovative techniques allow us to perform surgery with minimal disruption to your muscles, which results in significantly less post-operative pain and allows for a quick recovery.

Endoscopic Foraminotomy

Bone spur removal with an endoscopic foraminotomy procedure is highly effective and has a high rate of success. Although there is a chance of the bone spur developing again, if you make sure to correct the problems that caused it in the first place this chance is significantly reduced.

Bone cleared
Nerve examined
Damaged portion of the disc removed

An endoscopic foraminotomy is performed with intravenous sedation and under a local anesthetic. The surgeon will make a small incision in the back of the patient to insert a special small tube. Through this tube the surgeon is then able to gain access to the bone spur and clean away any other debris. This is a same day procedure that doesn’t require hospitalization where the patient is awake through the whole procedure. Many patients note that they feel relieve of their leg or arm symptoms while the procedure is being done.

Full recovery after bone spur removal can be expected anywhere from roughly ten days to a few weeks.

Are you a Candidate for Surgery?

If non surgical spinal bone spurs treatment fails to reduce your pain and other symptoms, you may be a surgical candidate. Our simple 3 step candidacy checking tool can get you started on a path to recovery in just minutes.

Begin 3 Step Diagnosis Process

Need assistance, or for answers to any questions you have please contact us now or call (877) 272-4535.