Treatment Options - Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF)

SpineAustin’s surgeons use Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusions (PLIF), a type of back surgery, to restore stability to the spine when conservative treatment options have failed. Conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis can cause spinal instability in the lower back and trigger pain and muscle weakness. During a PLIF procedure, the surgeon accesses the spine through the back of the body and then places bone graft material between two adjacent vertebrae. This bone graft material helps to fuse the two vertebrae by promoting bone growth between the adjacent vertebrae.

Typically, SpineAustin’s surgeons perform PLIF as a minimally invasive spinal fusion procedure. For the minimally invasive PLIF, the surgeon forgoes cutting into the muscle and instead makes small incisions and separates the muscles surrounding the spine.