CURRENT INDICATIONS FOR POSTERIOR LUMBAR INTERBODY FUSIONS

The posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) originally described in the 1940s has had varying degrees of acceptance. With the advent of newer PLIF constructs and the use of posterolateral fixation in combination with PLIF a renewed interest in PLIF has developed. The current indications for PLIF include spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, transitional syndrome, recurrent disc disease, postlaminectomy instability, and traumatic/postinfectious instability. These indications are shared with other interbody fusion techniques, including transforaminal posterior lumbar interbody fusion, anterior lumbar interbody fusion, and posterior lateral fusion. Therefore, the selection of which radiographic and diagnostic studies as well as which constructs to utilize has become increasingly more complicated. This article identifies the most accepted indications for PLIF and a discussion of the accepted evaluations to be performed before PLIF is made. Finally, a brief description of one possible PLIF construct is presented