[Non fusion techniques in spinal surgery]

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Spine Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Degenerative Spine Disease

Context:

• Adjacent segment degeneration is a known complication following spinal fusion.
• New surgical techniques aim to mitigate this complication and improve patient outcomes.
• Existing evidence for novel interventions is often based on short-to-mid-term results.

Purpose:

• To review current and emerging techniques for preventing adjacent segment degeneration after spinal fusion.
• To evaluate the mid-term and initial results of lumbar and cervical disc arthroplasty.
• To assess the potential role of dynamic stabilization and interspinal devices in managing specific spinal conditions.

Summary:

• Lumbar disc arthroplasty shows mid-term results comparable to spinal fusion.
• Cervical disc arthroplasty demonstrates encouraging initial outcomes for cervicobrachialgia.
• Dynamic stabilization may benefit lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis post-decompression, while interspinal devices show utility in mild cases.
• The capacity of arthroplasty to prevent adjacent segment degeneration requires further investigation.
• Long-term efficacy of dynamic stabilization and interspinal devices for low back pain is yet to be established.

Impact:

• Highlights the need for critical assessment of new spinal technologies.
• Emphasizes the importance of long-term data for clinical decision-making in spine surgery.
• Provides a concise overview of current evidence for novel spinal interventions.