DOCTOR’S NOTE
A new treatment could help reduce back pain without transfusion surgery.
It involves inserting tiny pieces of ceramic between vertebrae, which encourages new bone cells to develop naturally over time and fuse the vertebrae together.
This prevents the vertebrae from rubbing against each other and causing pain or compressing nerves. The technique is an alternative to spinal fusion surgery, which uses a bone graft from the hip to join the vertebrae. While effective, it can cause months of pain as it heals. It is being trialled at University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands after promising results in animal trials.