Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: autograft vs freeze-dried allograft

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze and compare the radiographic and clinical results of lumbar fusion using autograft versus lyophilized graft. Methods: This was a prospective study quasi-experimental, with a minimum follow-up of 13 months. It included patients undergoing circumferential lumbar fusion level. We started with a population of 96 patients, of which, we had 8 losses and 16 were excluded, so the sample size was 72 patients, 52.8% of them women, with an average age of 48 years. They were divided into two groups: one that was used in the iliac crest autograft (AU) (n = 41; 57.7%) and other bank lyophilized graft (LI)n = 30; 42.3%). We evaluated socio-demographic factors, the existence of fusion after surgery and clinical outcomes by VAS before and after surgery. Results: Low back pain in a scale of 1 to 10 was UA: 7.5, LI: 8 (p=0.146). After surgery, back pain improved in 4 points or more, AU: 3, LI: 1, (p=0.196). Then we found no statistically significant differences in the results of the visual analog scale, and we also found no differences with respect to the levels obtained in fusion surgery (p=0.112). Conclusion: The lyophilized graft in the circumferential fusion provides fusion and functional results similar to autograft.