Case Study: Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
Before…
A 29 year old female developed severe lower back pain after lifting.
The pain radiated into the buttocks, thighs and hamstrings preventing a return to work and affecting the activities of daily living.
Her MRI scan demonstrated discogenic deterioration at L5/S1 with a central disc bulge and reduced space for nerves.
The symptoms failed to respond to non-operative measures including rest, analgesic medication, physiotherapy, facet joint injections, and an epidural injection.
After…A L5/S1 discogram (injection into the disc) verified the disc as the source of pain generation.
Surgery was performed involving an anterior lumbar interbody fusion.
This resolved the patients symptoms and allowed a return to pre-injury activities without restriction.
