BACKGROUND An increased rate of pseudarthrosis has been documented following posterolateral lumbar spine grafting in patients who smoke. This same relationship has been assumed for anterior cervical interbody grafting, but to our knowledge it has never been proven. This study compared the long-term radiographic and clinical results of smokers and nonsmokers who had undergone arthrodesis with au...

OBJECT Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) was developed to overcome the limitations of posterolateral fusion in correcting spinal deformity and maintaining lumbar lordosis. In this study the authors compare the biomechanical effects of three different posterior reconstructions on the adjacent motion segment. METHODS Ten calf spinal (L2-S1) specimens underwent nondestructive flexion-exte...

STUDY DESIGN Prospective case series. PURPOSE To examine the clinical efficacy of mini-open anterior retroperitoneal lumbar interbody fusion: oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) for degenerated lumbar spinal kyphoscoliosis. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE The existing surgical procedures for the treatment of spinal kyphotic deformity, including Smith-Petersen osteotomy, pedicle subtraction osteo...

OBJECT The object of this study was to determine the fusion rate and safety profile of an axial interbody arthrodesis of the L5-S1 motion segment. METHODS A systematic search of MEDLINE was conducted for literature published between January 1, 2000, and August 17, 2014. All peer-reviewed articles related to the fusion rate of L5-S1 and the safety profile of an axial interbody arthrodesis were...

BACKGROUND Patients with cervical radicular syndrome due to disc herniation refractory to conservative treatment are offered surgical treatment. Anterior cervical discectomy is the standard procedure, often in combination with interbody fusion. Accelerated adjacent disc degeneration is a known entity on the long term. Recently, cervical disc prostheses are developed to maintain motion and possi...

BACKGROUND Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has a wide range of clinical applications but does not directly bond to bone. Bulk incorporation of osteoconductive materials including hydroxyapatite (HA) into the PEEK matrix is a potential solution to address the formation of a fibrous tissue layer between PEEK and bone and has not been tested. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES Using in vivo ovine animal models, we ...

Historical Background Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) was first used AQ1 in the treatment of tuberculosis and lumbar spondylolis-thesis. 1−3 Although described by Capener 4 in 1932 as the " ideal'' operation for spondylolisthesis, he further elaborated that " the technical difficulties of such procedure, however, preclude their trial.'' This statement was soon to be proven wrong by nume...

BACKGROUND Surgical intervention is increasingly performed as the primary treatment of unstable Hangman's fracture. Some authors have advocated using anterior C2/3 discectomy with interbody fusion and plating to treat unstable Hangman's fracture combined with intervertebral disc injury; however, there are few reports on unstable Hangman's fracture treated by anterior interbody fusion with the c...