Surgical management of adjacent level degeneration following lumbar spine fusion.

Glassman, Steven D; Pugh, Kevin; Johnson, John R; Dimar, John R · Orthopedics · 2002

retrospective_cohort · Level III

Where this comes from

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.

Medical subject headings

Anatomy