title: Surgical management of adjacent level degeneration following lumbar spine fusion.
abstract: Thirty-eight patients who underwent extension of a prior lumbar fusion for treatment of adjacent level degeneration were retrospectively evaluated. Patient age, pain relief with the initial surgical procedure, and distal level of fusion significantly affected outcome. Overall, this study suggests that adjacent level fusion yields results that are not optimal but provides sigificant clinical improvement for patients with symptomatic adjacent level degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Glassman
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pugh
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dimar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome