Transfacet screw fixation for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis with mild instability: a preliminary study

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Created On: 19/02/2020

Transfacet screw fixation for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis with mild instability: a preliminary study

Low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis and lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) are often linked with facet joint degradation, considered the principal cause of low back pain.

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Key take away

In recent years, transfacet fixation has gained a lot of importance. It attains vertebral segment fixation with the placement of bilateral low profile screws. In this study, Pre- and postoperative clinical (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI] and Short Form-36 [SF-36]) data analysis explained that transfacet fixation is a safe and effective treatment option in single-level LSS, facet joint degeneration, and mild instability patients.

Background

Low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis and lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) are often linked with facet joint degradation, considered the principal cause of low back pain. Among the patients afflicted by LSS unresponsive to conservative treatment, surgery is the alternative. This study intended to assess the radiologic and clinical finding of patients operated with posterior decompression and transfacet fixation for facet joint degeneration and single-level LSS.

Method

The analysis involved 25 participants affected by radiologically demonstrated one-level LSS with facet joint degeneration and grade I spondylolisthesis from May 2015 to June 2016. All the selected participants went through foraminotomy, one-level facet fixation, and laminectomy. Pre- and postoperative radiologic (magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, radiographs) and clinical (Short Form-36 [SF-36], Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]) data were assembled and examined.

Result

The mean follow-up was of one year. Eighteen participants exhibited L4-L5, and seven exhibited L5-S1 levels. The mean blood loss noticed was 160 mL and the mean operative time was 80 minutes. SF-36 and ODI presented a statistically notable improvement at last follow-up.