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Updated: Sep 29, 2025
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Three-dimensional Navigation-guided, Prone, Single-position, Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion Technique
Published on: July 15, 2021
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Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion at the L5-S1 Vertebral Level: A Unique Anatomical Case Report
Michael J Spitnale1, Zachary T Thier2,1, Gregory Grabowski1
1Orthopedic Surgery, Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
Cureus
|March 21, 2022
Summary
Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) can effectively treat mobile spondylolisthesis and stenosis, even at the L5-S1 level. Careful preoperative planning is crucial for successful outcomes in complex spinal fusion cases.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Spinal Fusion Techniques
Background:
- Degenerative lumbar spine conditions like spondylolisthesis and stenosis can cause debilitating radiculopathy.
- Conservative treatments often fail for mobile spondylolisthesis, necessitating surgical intervention.
Observation:
- A 57-year-old female with L4-L5 and L5-S1 mobile spondylolisthesis, stenosis, and radiculopathy underwent surgical treatment.
- The patient received lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) at L4-L5 and L5-S1, combined with posterior spinal fusion (PSF) and instrumentation.
Findings:
- Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) is a minimally invasive approach for lumbar spine degeneration.
- LLIF at the L5-S1 level presents relative contraindications due to potential lumbar plexus injury and access challenges.
- Meticulous preoperative planning, aided by imaging, can enable successful LLIF at L5-S1 in selected patients.
Implications:
- This case highlights the feasibility of LLIF at L5-S1 for complex spinal fusion when carefully planned.
- Minimally invasive techniques like LLIF offer potential benefits for patients with degenerative lumbar conditions.
- Advanced imaging and surgical planning are critical for mitigating risks in challenging spinal fusion procedures.
