A new study published in Spine compares posterolateral fusion with interbody fusion for patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis.
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 865 articles gathered from PubMed, Cochrane and Embase. A two-reviewer assessment found five articles that matched inclusion criteria for the analysis. The researchers found:
1. Combination effect size was in favor of posterolateral fusion for length of stay.
2. There was no difference in fusion rate or operative time between the two techniques. Estimated blood loss was similar for both groups.
3. Posterolateral fusion and interbody fusion patients reported similar Oswestry Disability index scores, Short Form-36 scores and visual analog scale scores. The complication rate was similar between both groups of patients.
4. The researchers didn't detect a publication bias in the articles and a sensitivity analysis validated the results.
5. The researchers concluded, "Patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis can be effectively managed with either PLF or IBF with no significant differences in clinical outcomes or fusion rate between the two groups."