AIM: The aim of this study is to compare the course of disease of patients with a degenerative instability of the lumbar spine after PLIF or ALIF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 1995 and January 2000 115 patients underwent a ventral or dorsal spondylodesis due to a degenerative instability in the Department of Neurosurgery of the Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin Hospital and in the Department of Neurosurgery of the Friedrichshain Hospital in Berlin. At an average of 25 (13-64) months after surgery these patients were followed up in a clinical examination and a questionnaire concerning their sense of pain and quality of life. RESULTS: Significant improvement after surgery has been shown in both groups. The recovery rate was 52 % which is a beneficial result. The fusion rate was 91 %. The postoperative sense of pain declined with regard to the visual pain scale. The intake of analgetics decreased in a quantitative as well as in a qualitative way. With 94 % the acceptance of the operation was comparatively high. The number of complications was low in comparison with the literature (4 %). There was no operative lethality. CONCLUSIONS: With regard to the indications and contraindications the PLIF as well as the ALIF is accepted unquestioningly as an up-to-date method.
AIM: The aim of this study is to compare the course of disease of patients with a degenerative instability of the lumbar spine after PLIF or ALIF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 1995 and January 2000 115 patients underwent a ventral or dorsal spondylodesis due to a degenerative instability in the Department of Neurosurgery of the Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin Hospital and in the Department of Neurosurgery of the Friedrichshain Hospital in Berlin. At an average of 25 (13-64) months after surgery these patients were followed up in a clinical examination and a questionnaire concerning their sense of pain and quality of life. RESULTS: Significant improvement after surgery has been shown in both groups. The recovery rate was 52 % which is a beneficial result. The fusion rate was 91 %. The postoperative sense of pain declined with regard to the visual pain scale. The intake of analgetics decreased in a quantitative as well as in a qualitative way. With 94 % the acceptance of the operation was comparatively high. The number of complications was low in comparison with the literature (4 %). There was no operative lethality. CONCLUSIONS: With regard to the indications and contraindications the PLIF as well as the ALIF is accepted unquestioningly as an up-to-date method.
Authors: Marc Röllinghoff; Klaus Schlüter-Brust; Daniel Groos; Rolf Sobottke; Joern William-Patrick Michael; Peer Eysel; Karl Stefan Delank Journal: Orthop Rev (Pavia) Date: 2010-03-20