http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/08/10/troy-percivals-career-likely-over/ Baseball. Baseball. And then a bit more baseball. Fri, 24 May 2013 08:03:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/08/10/troy-percivals-career-likely-over/comment-page-1/#comment-737 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:00:54 +0000 http://localhost/wp/nbchbt/?p=885#comment-737 Grant is pretty much right but I figured I’d throw in my two cents.
They will typically carve out a portion of the vertebral disc and put a structural spacer in that void. Usually this is accompanied by some sort of bone graft material to induce a “natural” boney fusion of the two vertebrae. Rods or plates are then screwed in place to keep everything from moving while it heals.
If he really needs a fusion then he is done.
The alternative the some companies are developing / pedalling are disc replacement devices. Think of it as a fake joint for your back. I could imagine some one pitching again after that surgery, but the history with these devices is limited as they have not been on the market place for that long.

]]> http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/08/10/troy-percivals-career-likely-over/comment-page-1/#comment-736 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:01:12 +0000 http://localhost/wp/nbchbt/?p=885#comment-736 I believe “a fusion” means he will have two vertebrae fused together with screws or metal rods or something. you don’t come back from it.

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