Biomechanical Analysis of Wide Posterior Releases Compared With Inferior Facetectomy and Discectomy in the Thoracolumbar and Lumbar Spine.

STUDY DESIGN: In vitro biomechanical analysis. OBJECTIVES: Compare the destabilizing effects of anterior discectomy to posterior spinal releases. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Posterior release and pedicle screw fixation has become the accepted form of treatment for lumbar and thoracolumbar pediatric scoliotic spinal deformity. A biomechanical evaluation of posterior releases with comparison to traditional anterior releases has not been reported in the lumbar spine. METHODS: Eleven fresh-frozen human thoracolumbar specimens (T9-L5) were tested by a robotic manipulator (Staubli RX90; moment target of 5.0 Nm, force target of 50 N) in axial rotation (AR), plus lateral and anterior translation (LT and AT). Specimens underwent either sequential anterior release (partial and full discectomy) or posterior release (inferior facetectomy and wide posterior release) from T10 to L4. Partial discectomy retained the posterior 50% of disc and posterior longitudinal ligament, whereas full discectomy removed all of the disc and PLL. Wide posterior release included total facetectomy plus ligamentum flavum and spinous process resection. RESULTS: Inferior facetectomy produced an average increase of 1.5° ± 1.0° (p = .0625), 1.0 ± 0.8 mm (p = .0313), and 0.2 ± 0.3 mm (p = .156) in AR, LT, and AT, respectively. Compared with partial facetectomy, wide posterior release produced an average additional increase of 8.1° ± 4.0° (p = .0312), 2.0 ± 2.2 mm (p = .4062), and 1.1 ± 1.0 mm (p = .0625) in AR, LT, and AT, respectively. Full discectomy produced 201%, 161%, and 153% of the motion relative to wide posterior release in AR, LT, and AT, respectively (p = .0043, .0087, and .0173). Partial discectomy and wide posterior release proved statistically equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: Wide posterior release of the thoracolumbar spine allows significant correction and may be superior to inferior facetectomy in axial rotation. Although complete discectomy with PLL resection would likely allow greater correction, a more clinically realistic partial discectomy confers similar corrective potential in vitro compared with wide posterior release. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not applicable.