Posterior versus anterior lumbar interbody fusion with anterior tension band plating: retrospective analysis.

Over the past 2 decades, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with pedicle screw instrumentation has gained popularity. Anterior fusion techniques, however, have evolved over time and currently allow for minimally invasive anterior retroperitoneal diskectomy, interbody graft placement, and rigid instrumentation. A direct comparison of anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) with anterior tension band plating to that of instrumented PLIF has not been previously reported. This retrospective uncontrolled cohort comparison included 59 patients with low back pain and 1- or 2-level lumbar degenerative disk disease from L3 to S1 who underwent PLIF with pedicle screw instrumentation or ALIF with anterior tension band plating. Outcome measures included estimated blood loss, surgical time, radiographic evidence of fusion at 6 to 9 months postoperatively, and pre- and postoperative Oswestry Disability Index scores. Fusion rates for the 2 procedures were similar. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion patients had significantly higher estimated blood loss and longer surgical time than ALIF-ATB patients. Oswestry Disability Index scores were similar between the 2 groups at all postoperative time points, except at 3 months postoperatively when PLIF patients had lower scores than ALIF-ATB patients. These findings suggest that ALIF-ATB has similar fusion and functional outcomes as PLIF, but with shorter surgical time and decreased blood loss.