Long-term follow-up of the anterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure
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Updated: Apr 1, 2026
Surgical Approach and Complications of Stand-alone Lateral Trans-Psoas Interbody Fusion
Published on: February 14, 2025
Purpose:
To evaluate the long-term clinical results and the effectiveness of the anterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure.
Methods:
Between 1999 and 2005, 60 ALIFs were performed in 59 patients. Mean age was 41.1 years. Clinically, patients were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 9.5 years using the Visual Analogue Scale grading scale, the Oswestry Disability score and the SF-36 questionnaire.
Results:
Preoperative and postoperative clinical evaluation scores of 38 patients were available. Nineteen patients were lost to follow-up, and 2 patients died during the follow-up. The fusion rate was 84%. Mean preoperative VAS-score for back pain was 6.69 (±2.15) ; in the long term, the mean VAS-score was 4.95 (±2.95), which was a significant improvement. (p<0.01). The postoperative ODI-score was 36.11 (±22.32), while the preoperative ODI-score was 59.31 (±17.16), which demonstrates a significant improvement. According to the SF-36, mild to good results were observed.
Conclusions:
The ALIF procedure can offer significant pain relief and improved function if a strict indication policy is followed.
