Comparison of Lumbar Interbody Fusion Performed with Unilateral or Bilateral Pedicle Screw

Full article available online at Healio.com/Orthopedics. Search: 20130327-28 Currently, bilateral pedicle screw fixation is the standard of instrumentation, providing rigid fixation and an increased fusion rate. However, due to the excessive rigidity of the system, this instrumentation has been suspected to cause degeneration of adjacent segments. Alternatively, less rigid unilateral pedicle fixation is considered to be as effective as bilateral constructs. Few studies have compared unilateral and bilateral constructs in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate possible differences between unilateral and bilateral pedicle screw fixation for single-level lumbar degenerative disease.