Do current outcomes data support the technique of lumbar interbody fusion?

Over the past 20 years, significant technical advances in spinal surgery have made the concept of interbody fusion a reality. The procedure, whether approached anteriorly or posteriorly, appears to improve patient satisfaction and radiographic fusion rates in selected cases. The lack of a randomized, prospective study and difficulty in comparing outcomes between studies has made it difficult to draw such a conclusion from the literature.