Abstract:

BACKGROUND: There are no reports addressing effects of unilateral pedicle screw plus cage internal fixation on adjacent segment degeneration in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease.
OBJECTIVE: To review the effects of unilateral pedicle screw plus cage internal fixation on adjacent segment degeneration in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease.
METHODS: From 2006 to 2009, 22 patients with partial lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar instability, and lumbar intervertebral disc herniation received unilateral pedicle screw plus cage internal fixation. X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were performed at 3, 6, 12, 20 months after treatment as well as at 3 and 6 months after fixated screws were removed. Based on X-ray films, height of intervertebral space was measured using angle bisectrix method. MRI examination was performed for observation of disc nucleus pulposus degeneration.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: During the follow-up, all symptoms related to spinal stenosis and nerve root disappeared, and no new clinical symptoms occurred. The height of intervertebral space (mm) was 7.420±0.035 4, 7.426 6±0.036 9, 7.453 3±0.036 9, 7.516 6±0.036 9, 7.430 8±0.036 9, respectively, before infusion, at 3, 6, 12 and 20 months after infusion (P > 0.05). Fixation fusion adjacent disc nucleus pulposus in upper T2-weighted images had no apparent degeneration. It is indicated that the unilateral pedicle screw plus interbody infusion could effectively prevent adjacent segment degeneration in the treatment of partial lumbar intervertebral degenerative disease.