Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
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Review Comparative Study
Comparison of the different surgical approaches for lumbar interbody fusion.
This review will outline the history of spinal fusion. It will compare the different approaches currently in use for interbody fusion. A comparison of the techniques, including minimally invasive surgery and graft options will be included. ⋯ Studies show less intraoperative blood loss for minimally invasive techniques, but there is no long-term data. Iliac crest is the gold standard for bone graft, although adjuncts such as bone morphogenetic proteins are being used more frequently, despite their controversial history. More high-level studies are needed to make generalisations regarding the outcomes of one technique compared with another.