Circumferential fusion of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine. Comparison of two techniques of anterior spinal fusion. |
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Authors: | D Grob H J Scheier J Dvorak |
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Affiliation: | Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Schulthess Hospital Zürich, Switzerland. |
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Abstract: | Thirty-two patients with therapy-resistant low-back pain and justified indication for fusion were divided into two groups: 16 patients were treated with anterior fusion of the lumbosacral spine, with insertion of tricortical bone grafts of the iliac crest, and 16 patients with insertion of a fibular peg. Additional dorsal fusion of the same segments was performed. Comparison of the two techniques of circumferential fusion of the lumbosacral joint reveals comparable clinical results. A marked difference in roentgenographical criteria such as disk height, retrolisthesis, and anterior osteophytes in the adjacent segment between the two techniques was noted at the time of follow-up evaluation after 89 months and motivated the authors to abandon the fibular-peg technique. |
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