The correlation between preoperative disc space height and clinical outcomes after anterior lumbar interbody fusion.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether preoperative disc space height (DSH) influences the clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with single-level symptomatic discogenic disease and treated with a stand-alone anterior lumbar interbody fusion with two tapered threaded fusion cages, we performed a retrospective analysis of 392 patients.


METHODS
Preoperative radiographs were used to establish four study groups based on the patients' DSH: the tall disc group: DSH >15 mm; the intermediate tall group: DSH ranging from 10 to 15 mm; the intermediate collapsed group: DSH ranging from 5 to 10 mm; and the collapsed disc group: DSH <5 mm.


RESULTS
All of the patient groups exhibited improvement in their clinical outcomes. However, patients in the collapsed disc group (DSH of <5 mm) tended to have earlier and greater improvement in Oswestry Disability Index scores, Physical Component Summary scores of the Short Form-36, and Visual Analog Scale scores for low back pain.


CONCLUSIONS
Symptomatic disc degeneration can be readily identified with plain radiographic findings, and patients' symptoms can often be relieved predictably with a stand-alone interbody fusion procedure.
Schuler
Thomas C
TC
Virginia Spine Institute, Reston, VA, USA.
Burkus
J Kenneth
JK
Gornet
Matthew F
MF
Subach
Brian R
BR
Zdeblick
Thomas A
TA
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D016896:Treatment Outcome