The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
-
The surgical treatment of high-grade spondylolisthesis is challenging. Posterolateral fusion alone has a high rate of pseudarthrosis. Surgical stabilization of higher-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis with a fibula strut graft is an effective technique but is associated with harvest site morbidity and graft fractures. ⋯ The axial cage technique appears to be a significant improvement over the fibular strut graft for the treatment of higher-grade spondylolisthesis. It provides significant reduction in pain, significant improvement in function, high patient satisfaction, and avoids the morbidity and fracture risks associated with fibular strut grafting.