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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Evaluation of Patients' Posture and Gait Profile After Lumbar Fusion Surgery by Video Rasterstereography and Treadmill Gait Analysis
Published on: March 23, 2019
Comparing the operational metrics and functional outcomes of lumbar arthroplasty implants: a systematic review
Alexa R Lauinger1, Alan Fullenkamp1, Helen J Kemprecos1
11Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana; and.
Objective:
Lumbar fusion is a common spinal surgical procedure that involves the risk of loss of functionality due to immobility of the fused segment. Arthroplasty offers a potential solution to improve patient outcomes by mimicking normal motion at the diseased level. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of different arthroplasty implants with lumbar fusions.
Methods:
A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify publications reporting clinical outcomes after lumbar arthroplasty. Articles were screened by 2 reviewers, and study results were summarized and compared across the studies.
Results:
Nine publications were included in this review from 512 screened publications. One of the publications used the same participant group as a prior study; therefore, 8 unique studies were included. The visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and range of motion (ROM) were commonly used to assess pain and functionality, with the FlexiCore implant reporting the most substantial decreases in VAS (70 points) and ODI (56 points) scores. The Maverick implant had the greatest increase in ROM (2.5°). The XL-TDR implant had the longest operating time (130 minutes), but Maverick had the greatest blood loss (240.7 mL). Both fusion procedures had higher rates of serious adverse events (7.0% and 8.7%) than any arthroplasty implant, and the circumferential fusion group reported high rates of additional surgeries (34.8%). FlexiCore was the arthroplasty implant associated with the highest rate of additional surgeries (18.2%).
Conclusions:
Based on these results, arthroplasty offers better functional outcomes with a lower risk of serious adverse events. Of the 7 implants reviewed, FlexiCore was associated with the greatest improvement in outcome metrics, but it also had the highest rate of additional surgeries. These results support that while arthroplasty offers better outcomes than traditional lumbar fusions, there is a need for more direct intrastudy comparisons of arthroplasty implants. Systematic review registration no.: CRD420261283380 (www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/).
