Clinical and radiological outcomes of segmental spinal fusion in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with spinous process tricortical autograft.
METHODS
A retrospective study.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate clinical and radiological outcomes when using spinous process as a tricortical autograft for segmental spinal fusion in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).


BACKGROUND
Interbody spinal fusion is one of the important procedures in spinal surgery. Many types of autografts are harvested at the expense of complications. Clinical and radiographic results of patients who underwent TLIF with intraoperative harvested spinous process autograft in Prasat Neurological Institue, Bangkok, Thailand, were assessed as new technical innovation.


METHODS
Between October 2005 to July 2009, 30 cases of patients who underwent TLIF with spinous process tricortical autograft were included. Clinical evaluations were assessed by visual analog scales (VAS) and Prolo functional and economic scores at the preoperation and postoperation and at 2 years postoperation. Static and dynamic plain radiograph of lumbar spine were reviewed for achievement of fusion.


RESULTS
Initial successful fusion time in lumbar interbody fusion with spinous process tricortical autograft was 4.72 months (range, 3.8-6.1 months) postoperation and 100% fusion rate was reported at 2 years. Our initial successful fusion time in lumbar interbody fusion was compared to the other types of grafts in previous literatures.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of intraoperative harvested spinous process tricortical autograft has overcome many disadvantages of harvesting autograft with better initial successful fusion time (4.72 months). VAS and Prolo scores showed some improvement in the outcomes between the preoperative and postoperative periods.
Department of Neurosurgery, Prasat Neurological Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.
Nattawat
N
Witoon
Department of Neurosurgery, Prasat Neurological Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.
Teera
T
Tangviriyapaiboon
Spinous process autograft; Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion; Transpedicular screw fixation; Tricortical autograft