Abstract: Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation is one of the most common spinal degenerative disorders which lead to low back pain (LBP) and radicular leg pain. Heavy lifting, twisting and trauma were the most common causes of LBP, in which 52-60% are work-related. Instrumented Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) provides various advantages including load sharing, maintained the disc height, formation of three-column stability, with allowance for wider decompression, prevention of graft dislodgment, and improved fusion rate.
Aims and Objectives: To study the outcome of one level instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion in indicated cases of prolapsed intervertebral disc using a single cage.
Material and Methods: It is a prospective clinical study of 14 consecutive patients, who underwent one level instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). The duration of study is from June 2015 to May 2016. The duration of follow up range from 6 to 12 months. Clinical outcome is assessed using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual analog score (VAS). The radiological outcome is assessed using Modified Lee’s criteria of fusion. All the data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics Desktop 22.0. Paired t test is used for comparison of preoperative and post-operative measurements and considered significant if the p-value < 0.05.
Results: Out of 14 patients, 10 were males and 4 female, with the mean age of 39.43 years. Clinically the preoperative and postoperative ODI score, VAS score are statistically significant p<0.0001 (the result is significant at p≤0.05). The surgery restore the disc height and at a mean follow up of 9 months 12 patients (85.71%) shows possible fusion and 2 patients (14.29%) shows possible pseudoarthrosis.
Conclusion: Local bone are adequate for one level fusion. PLIF with single cage provide successful outcome when augmented with instrumentation in this type of cases.
