Abstract:

BACKGROUND: There are many clinical reports about application of posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with the Cage used autologous iliac bone particles in treatment of degenerative lumbar disease. But few studies reports state of fusion in different time and fusion rate of long-term follow-up using cages impacted with laminar and processus spinosus bone chips.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the radiologic changes and clinical efficacy in the interbody bone fusion site in patients who had received PLIF using cages impacted with autoallergic laminar and processus spinosus bone chips.
METHODS: A total of 63 patients with degenerative lumbar disease were selected, including 24 males and 39 females, aged 46 years (rang 35-72 years). All cases were one level. The decompressed autologous vertebral plate and processus spinosus bone chips were soaked in gentamycin and filled in Cage. The autologous iliac bone particles were filled in the anterior diastema of Cage, and the Cage was implanted. The patients were followed up for 53 months (range 37–62 months). Anteroposterior and lateral radiograph films were taken from all patients after bone fusion at 1 week, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery and at follow-up. The extent of the bone fusion was observed in different time.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Of the 63 fusion levels, successful bone fusion was observed in 51 levels (81%). All the successful fusions occurred inside and anterior to the cages. Successful fusion time was 6 to 12 months after surgery. The pain in the lumbar spine and lower limb disappeared or alleviated obviously. Lumbar interbody fusion was good, and the height of lumbar intervertebral space was not lost significantly. PLIF using cages impacted with autoallergic laminar and processus spinosus bone chips is a useful method when considering the time required for surgery and the morbidity of the autograft donor sites.