title: Failure of a modified posterior lumbar interbody fusion technique to produce adequate pain relief in isthmic spondylolytic grade 1 spondylolisthesis patients. A prospective study of 20 patients.
abstract: A modified posterior lumber interbody fusion procedure is described: this technique basically uses only two tricortical bone grafts and does not produce a distraction at the interspace while inserting the bone grafts. Twenty patients with intractable back and leg pain due to an isthmic spondylolysis and a grade 1 spondylolisthesis were operated using this technique and a prospective study with a mean follow-up of 41 months was conducted to evaluate the results. The final evaluation involved a questionnaire, a clinical examination, and a lumbar spine radiographic series. Fourty-five percent of the patients had good or excellent results whereas 55% had fair or poor results. The possible reasons for these unfavorable results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verlooy
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Smedt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Selosse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013169:Spondylolysis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure