Rocky Mountain Orthopaedic Associates Areas of Expertise

Spinal Disorders

The unique structure of the spinal column allows normal body movement such as bending, twisting, standing, sitting, etc. There are 24 vertebrae in the spinal column, with cushioning pads called discs between the vertebrae to allow spine movement and absorb pressure. One of the most common causes of back pain is the displacement or herniation of the disc, typically caused by improper lifting, a fall or sudden twisting. Other spinal disorders include abnormal curvatures such as scoliosis or kyphosis, weakness of the spine caused by infections or tumors, injuries to the spinal vertebrae, and spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal caused by the wear-and-tear effects of aging.

Surgical procedures performed by Rocky Mountain Orthopaedics include the following:

Disc repair. Designed to relieve the pressure placed on the nerves in the spinal cord by a herniated or protruding disc, this procedure involves removing a portion of bone and ligament overlying the nerve roots and removing the displaced disc material.
Spinal fusion. This procedure is a "welding" process by which two or more the vertebrae are fused together with bone grafts and metal rods to heal into a single bone. This surgery eliminates motion between vertebrae segments, relieving the pain caused by motion. It also stops the progress of spinal deformities such as scoliosis.
Laminectomy. This procedure for spinal stenosis involves removing the bone and soft tissue that are pinching the nerves within the spinal column.
Kyphoplasty. A minimally invasive surgical procedure, kyphoplasty is used to treat painful progressive vertebral body collapse caused by osteoporosis or the spread of a tumor to the vertebral body. The procedure involves the use of a balloon to restore the vertebral body height and shape, followed by bone cement to strengthen it.

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Rocky Mountain Orthopaedic Associates Physicians:

Kirk D. Clifford, MD
Mary Beth Deering, MD
Michael P. Dohm, MD
Michael Dolecki, MD
David P. Fisher, MD
Robert L. Frazho, MD
James S. Gebhard, MD
Steven J. Heil, MD
Sandra A. Horvath-Dori, MD
Michael J. Huang, MD
Waqqar Khan-Farooqi, MD
Mark G. Luker, MD
Jeffrey M. Nakano, MD
Richard J. Price, MD
Michael T. Reeder, DO
Michael D. Rooks, MD
James K. Weaver, MD
Thea A. Wojtkowski, MD