Causes for emergency back surgery?

Question

I'm looking for reasons a person would need to have emergency back surgery, preferably on the lower back. I need ideas for an anatomy project for school.

Thanks!

Answer 1

When a herniated intervertebral disc is putting so much pressure on a nerve root (often the S1 root which what occurs in sciatica) that it is likely to cause irreversible nerve damage. The patient could lose some function/strength in their leg.

An unstable fracture of a vertebra.

Caua equina syndrome.