First Place Outstanding Undergraduate Presentation

Cody A. Chastain
Southern Adventist University

ABSTRACT

Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Retrospective Study of Long-Term Pain Relief and Fusion Outcomes

Cody A. Chastain and Scott Hodges
Southern Adventist University and Center for Sports Medicine, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

This retrospective study examined the postoperative pain, disability levels, and fusion status of TLIF patients after at least 4 years to establish a long-term precedent for physician expectations.
Forty-two patients participated in this study. The average patient’s postoperative pain was lowered by 2.4 points on a 0-10 scale. The average patient’s perceived disability, as evaluated by the Oswetry Pain Index, decreased by 10.5%. Twenty-five out of 39 patients evaluated by x-ray films showed spinal fusion in their operative vertebral levels. No movement was detected in the operative vertebral levels of those 39 patients. Patients with no fusion and no movement exhibited postoperative pain levels 1 point greater than patients with fusion. The postoperative disability scores were greater by only 1.7%. Thirty-six patients out of the 42 would elect to have the surgery again and 85.7% approval rating. In conclusion, TLIF is an effective method of alleviating intractable back pain over an extended time period.