Spinal fusion is the traditional surgical option to improve the clinical outcome of patients with advanced lumbar degenerative disease. Various techniques including posterolateral arthrodesis, interbody arthrodesis, and circumferential arthrodesis are being pursued as fusion strategies to eliminate segmental instability, which is a recognized cause of low back pain [1]. There are several drawbacks associated with pedicle-screw fixation constructs including failure of implant components and back-out of the screws [2,3].
Low back pain is sometimes related to, but not necessarily caused by, anulus fibrosus (AF) ruptures. Studies on low back pain have estimated an annual incidence of 5% and prevalence of 15% to 20% in United States alone [1]. Disc degeneration with or without herniation is frequently implicated in low back pain and sciatica, and is believed to be associated with segmental instability of the spine [2].
Low Back Pain and Functional Lumbar Segmental Instability
