title: Failed anterior lumbar interbody fusion due to incomplete foraminal decompression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) has gained widespread popularity for spinal disorders requiring fusion. The purpose of this study was to analyze ALIF failures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 223 patients treated with ALIF between January 2007 and June 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with unfavorable outcomes, including subsequent posterior decompression at the index level or poor outcomes after ALIF were identified based on clinical and radiological findings. The patients were divided into two groups: an unfavorable group and a favorable group. Preoperative clinical and radiological factors for each group were statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred of the 223 patients were enrolled in this study. Thirteen (6.5%) of 200 patients resulted in unfavorable outcome. Four patients (2%) of them underwent posterior decompressive surgery. The main cause of unfavorable outcomes was incomplete decompression of the foraminal stenosis. Unfavorable outcomes were obtained in patients with the level of L5-S1 (p = 0.036), higher body mass index (p = 0.048), higher percentage of slippage (p = 0.024), and severe facet arthropathy (p = 0.013). However, there was no difference in preoperative disc height, foraminal size, facet angle, facet tropism, or preoperative visual analog scale for back and leg pain, the Oswestry disability index, symptom duration, and fusion rate between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, posterior decompression and fusion may be considered for obese patients with the level of L5-S1, high-grade spondylolisthesis, or severe facet arthropathy. On the other hand, ALIF can be used an effective alternative treatment in many spinal disorders requiring fusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Daegu Wooridul Spine Hospital, Daegu, 700-732, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Byung-Uk
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Joo-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Kyeong-Ki
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jong-Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sang-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000601:surgery*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000601:surgery*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000601:surgery*; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000601:surgery*; D017211:Treatment Failure