Application of tridimensional intravertebral bone graft combined with AxiaLIF technique in lumbar interbody fusion

Abstract

Lumbar interbody fusion techniques are becoming more and more minimally invasive. AxiaLIF technique can be used in low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease or minor spondylolisthesis, but there are risks for fusion failure. Intravertebral bone graft is performed in painful osteoporotic or posttraumatic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Until now, no attempt has been made to apply intravertebral bone graft with AxiaLIF technique.
So first, we hypothesize a novel method for tridimensional intravertebral bone graft with a special designed bone grafting instrument and describe it vividly. The special instrument would mainly consist of a hollow tube and a rod, the distal parts of them would be shape into 45o slope, so the direction of grafting would be decided by the slope. By rotating the tube we can deliver cancellous bone granules in one plane, but by retreating the tube we can perform tridimensional intravertebral bone graft. Second, intravertebral bone graft is supposed to be performed combined with AxiaLIF technique in order to create biologic vertebral reconstruction and raise fusion rate. We believe this is the first description of such a method, future clinical studies are needed to validate these hypotheses.