Orthopedic Spine Surgery

At the Orthopedic Institute of PA (OIP), we understand the effects of back and neck pain. From interrupting your sleep, restricting work and preventing you from enjoying time with your loved ones, living with pain can be challenging. When pain persists after implementing conservative interventions, we provide orthopedic spine surgery to help you return to the activities you love. Our licensed providers are dedicated to finding the root cause of your discomfort and offering a clear, supportive path to relief.

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Orthopedic Spine Surgery Services

With empathy and honesty, we take the time to explain your anatomy, your options, and what a surgical solution truly entails. From the moment you walk through our doors, we will treat you with care while leveraging proven medical technology to help enhance your spinal function and relieve pain. Our team offers support throughout your care plan and is available to answer all of your questions. 

Common Spine Conditions

Our team handles a wide range of spinal issues, pairing accurate diagnoses with targeted surgical interventions to help provide lasting relief. While the procedure performed is patient-specific based on symptoms, imaging findings, patient medical comorbidities, and other factors, here are some common conditions we have seen: 

When a disc slips or a nerve is pinched, causing shooting pain, we often perform a microdiscectomy to remove the pressure from the nerve root.

If the spinal canal narrows and compresses the nerves, we perform a laminectomy to create space and decompress the area.

When a vertebra slips forward over another, causing instability, we perform corrective surgery to realign the vertebrae and secure the spine.

For painful, worn-down discs, we may offer disc replacement to help minimize the painful motion segment while maintaining stability.

For this rare but severe compression of nerve roots, our spine surgeons will perform urgent surgical decompression to help prevent permanent neurological damage.

When spinal cord compression causes coordination issues, we use decompression surgery to address progression and protect nerve function.

We treat these fluid-filled sacs that compress nerves with microsurgical excision to remove the cyst and relieve leg or back pain.

For stress fractures in the vertebra, we may perform a direct repair to heal the bone and reduce pain.

We use delicate microsurgery to separate and remove these growths from the nerve sheath while aiming to preserve sensation and movement.

Our experts perform tumor resection to remove these growths from the spinal cord’s protective covering or blood vessels.

If a fluid-filled cyst forms within the spinal cord, we may perform surgery to drain or shunt the fluid and promote normal flow.

For cancer that has spread to the spine from elsewhere, we perform stabilization surgery or tumor corpectomy to reduce pain and prevent neurological decline.

If osteoporosis leads to a collapsed vertebra, our orthopedic surgeons may use kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that stabilizes the bone.

For abnormal curvatures that affect posture, we perform deformity correction surgery to straighten the spine and improve balance.

Our team performs washout and debridement procedures to remove infected tissue and antibiotics to treat the infection.

Neck fractures, whiplash injuries, cervical dislocations, spinal cord compression in the neck

Mid-back vertebral fractures, rib-associated thoracic spine injuries, spinal instability, traumatic disc injury

Lower back fractures, herniated discs from injury, lumbar compression fractures, nerve compression after trauma

Scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis, tethered cord syndrome, congenital spinal deformities

Need specialized help?

We also care for many patients with other less common conditions.

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Orthopedic Spine Surgery Recovery

Our team at OIP is committed to advancing patient care through minimally invasive spine surgery techniques that prioritize precision, safety, and faster recovery. Whenever appropriate, we utilize small incisions, muscle-sparing approaches, and state-of-the-art imaging and navigation technologies to reduce tissue disruption and postoperative pain. This philosophy allows many patients to experience shorter hospital stays, quicker return to daily activities, and improved overall outcomes. We believe that less invasive does not mean less effective—instead, it reflects our dedication to delivering the highest standard of care with the least physical burden on our patients.

Talk to a Spine Care Expert

OIP is a reputable orthopedic practice that prioritizes your safety and long-term well-being. We combine decades of extensive experience, a personalized approach and evidence-based techniques to help you return to your daily life. Schedule an appointment today to discuss the possibility of orthopedic spine surgery and your care plan.

 

Spine Care Specialists

Patient Testimonial

After my hip replacement, I was worried about how long it would take to get back on my feet. The rehab team at OIP was fantastic. They guided me every step of the way, and I’m now walking without any pain!” Brian B., York, PA

Brian B., York, PA

MRI Upper Extremity (Shoulder, Upper Arm, Elbow, Forearm, Wrist, or Hand) Preauthorization Documentation Guidelines

1. Suspicious mass or tumor
      a. On initial evaluation or follow up
2. Staging of known cancer
3. Suspected or known infection (septic arthritis or osteomyelitis)
4. Suspected Osteonecrosis
5. Evaluation of Rheumatoid Arthritis or other autoimmune diseases
6. Evaluation of Post-op Complications
      a. Infection, delayed union, other
7. Suspected fracture with prior imaging non-diagnostic
8. Abnormal bones scan with non-diagnostic Xray
9. Significant injury with suspected ligament, cartilage, tendon, nerve or bone injury with non-diagnostic prior imaging
      a. Suspected massive rotator cuff tear
10. Evaluation of pain or more minor injury with initial imaging non-diagnostic:
      a. Pain lasting 3 months or greater
      b. Failed conservative therapy: Must include each one:
           i. Rest: modified activities or assistive devices/rigid splints or braces
           ii. Ice or heat
           iii. Medications and/or injections
           iv. Physical therapy or a physician directed home exercise program
           or chiropractic care
                1. Document instructions given
                2. Document compliance and results
                3. Document duration and dates

MRI Spine Preauthorization Documentation Criteria

1. Tumor, masses, or cancer: suspected or known
2. Neurological Deficits
3. Trauma or acute injury
       a. With neurological deficits
       b. With progressive symptoms during conservative treatment
4. Infection: known or suspected
5. Inflammation: Ankylosing Spondylitis
6. Pre-op Evaluation
7. Post-op Complications
8. Acute or Chronic Axial or radicular pain
       a. Pain lasting 6 weeks or greater
       b. ADLs must be affected
       c. Progressive neurological deficit or an abnormal EMG
             i. Must document specific dermatome, muscle weakness, reflex
abnormalities
       d. Failed conservative therapy: Must include each one:
             i. Rest: modified activities or bracing
             ii. Ice or heat
             iii. Medications, acupuncture or stimulators
                   1. Specific name of medication start date and duration and
                   results
             iv. Epidurals or other injections (not trigger point injections)
             v. Physical therapy or a physician directed home exercise program
             or chiropractic care
                   1. Document instructions given
                   2. Document compliance and results
                   3. Document duration and dates

MRI Pelvis Preauthorization Documentation Criteria

1. Musculoskeletal Pelvic MRI:
     a. Mass or tumor
    b. Significant injury to rule out fracture or other injury
    c. Osteonecrosis of hips
    d. Sacroiliitis
    e. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
    f. Pain lasting 3 months or greater
    g. Failed conservative therapy: Must include each one:
            i. Rest: modified activities or assistive devices/rigid
            splints or braces
            ii. Ice or heat
            iii. Medications and/or injections
            iv. Physical therapy or a physician directed home
            exercise program or chiropractic care
                    1. Document instructions given
                    2. Document compliance and results
                    3. Document duration
    h. Persistent Pain not responsive to 4 weeks of conservative treatment

2. Prostate Cancer Evaluation, follow up, and surveillance

3. Mass or Tumors

4. Cancer detection, staging, or surveillance
    a. 3, 6, or 12 month follow up

5. Infection:
        a. Appendicitis
        b. Diverticulitis not responding to conservative care
        c. Inflammatory bowel disease
        d. Abscess suspected
        e. Fistula
        f. Abnormal fluid collection

6. Pelvic Floor failure

7. Uterine abnormalities

8. Undescended Testes

9. Pre-op Evaluation

10. Post-op Complication

MRI Lower Extremity (Hip, Knee, Leg, Ankle, or Foot) Preauthorization Documentation Guidelines

1. Suspicious Mass or Tumor
       a. On initial evaluation or follow up
2. Staging of known Cancer
3. Known or suspected infection
4. Suspected Osteonecrosis or Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
5. Suspected SCFE, tarsal coaltion
6. Evaluation of Post-op complication:
       a. Infection, delayed union, other
7. Suspected fracture with prior imaging non-diagnostic
8. Abnormal bone scan with non-diagnostic xray
9. Significant injury with suspected ligament, cartilage, or bone injury
10. Evaluation of pain or more minor injury with initial imaging negative:
       a. Pain lasting 3 months or greater
       b. Failed conservative therapy: Must include each one:
             i. Rest: modified activities or assistive devices/rigid splints or braces
             ii. Ice or heat
             iii. Medications and/or injections
             iv. Physical therapy or a physician directed home exercise program orchiropractic care
                  1. Document instructions given
                   2. Document compliance and results
                   3. Document duration

MRI Chest Preauthorization Documentation Guidelines

1. Mediastinal or hilar mass
2. Myasthenia gravis with suspected thymoma
3. Brachial Plexus Dysfunction
4. Thoracic/Thoracoabdominal aneurysm
5. Suspected or confirmed Congenital Heart Disease
6. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

MRI Brain Preauthorization Documentation Criteria

1. Suspected or known MS
2. Seizure disorder, known or suspected new or refractory
3. Suspected Parkinson’s disorder
4. Neurological symptoms or deficits
     a. Acute, new or fluctuating deficits
5. Mental status changes
6. Trauma to the head with neurological changes, vomiting, headache
7. Evaluation of headaches
      a. Chronic with change in pattern/character
      b. Sudden onset severe headache
      c. New onset headache in pregnancy
8. Suspected brain tumor or cancer
9. Known or suspected stroke
10. Suspected Infection
11. Suspected Congenital abnormality
12. New onset tinnitus or vertigo associated with visual changes

MRI Abdomen and MRCP Preauthorization Documentation Criteria

MRI
1. Suspicious Mass or Tumor
2. Surveillance of Mass, Tumor, or Cancer    
      a. 3, 6, 12 month follow up
3. Suspected infection:
      a. Appendicitis
      b. Peritonitis
      c. Pancreatitis
      d. Inflammatory bowel disease
      e. Cholecystitis
      f. Abscess
      g. Fistula
      h. Hepatitis C
4. Preoperative Evaluation
5. Post-op complication

MRCP
1. Suspected Congenital Abnormality
2. Chronic pancreatitis or related complications
3. Biliary tree symptoms
4. Pre-op Evaluation
5. Post-op complication or surveillance
6. Inconclusive abnormalities identified on other imaging