Introduction to vertebral fusion for spinal deformities

  Vertebral fusion, also known as blocked vertebrae, is caused by incomplete segmentation of the vertebral body during growth and development, most commonly in the lumbar and cervical spine. The typical clinical features are short neck, low posterior line, and limited cervical motion, and this “triad” is present in only half of the population, while the remaining atypical cases, especially those with fewer fused vertebrae, may have no obvious clinical manifestations. The imaging manifestations are: complete or partial fusion between two or more vertebral bodies, the former with the disappearance of the disc, the latter with some traces of the disc remaining, or with only the bony endplate remaining, or with only the vertebral body or both the vertebral body and the accessories being involved. The high diameter of the fused vertebral body is unchanged or less increased, and the anterior and posterior diameters are less reduced.