Is L5/S1 interbody fusion necessary with concurrent iliac fixation for long segment spinal fusion constructs?—a systematic review of biomechanical studies
Alexander J. Schupper, Michael Tawil, Han Jo Kim, Andrew C. Hecht, Jeremy M. Steinberger, James D. Lin · 2025
Read Is L5/S1 interbody fusion necessary with concurrent iliac fixation for long segment spinal fusion constructs?—a systematic review of biomechanical studies by Alexander J. Schupper, Michael Tawil, Han Jo Kim, Andrew C. Hecht, Jeremy M. Steinberger, James D. Lin (2025) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-12775628.txt.
Description
Alexander Schupper and five co-authors reviewed lab studies on hardware choices for long spinal fusions, in a 2025 paper. Fusions reaching the pelvis often fail to knit at the lowest joint. Two fixes compete: a cage in the bottom disc, or screws anchored in the pelvis. Some surgeons use both. Cadaver studies measured motion and screw strain under each setup.
Both fixes cut motion and screw strain versus screws alone. Pelvic anchors reduced strain in more directions. They also raised strain in the connecting rods. Adding both fixes showed no significant extra gain. Four of seven studies hinted at a small motion benefit anyway. The authors see no biomechanical case for routine double fixation. Bigger lab and clinical studies should settle the question. Patient outcomes, not just bench numbers, will decide practice.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Alexander J. Schupper, Michael Tawil, Han Jo Kim, Andrew C. Hecht, Jeremy M. Steinberger, James D. Lin |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2025 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 22 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |