Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Indications

• Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is indicated as a treatment of chronic, incapacitating low back pain secondary to degenerative disk disease, such as collapsed disk and Modic changes, or degenerative spondylolisthesis in the absence of severe neural element compression. Patients are generally not considered for operation until at least 6 months of conservative nonsurgical therapies have failed to yield adequate amelioration of symptoms. ALIF may also be used in cases of failure of previous posterior approach lumbar surgery.