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Compared to adolescent scoliosis, adult scoliosis is less flexible and more stiff. Therefore, anterior surgery may be needed to increase flexibility and achieve better correction. Fusion rates also are lower in adults. Anterior support may aid solid fusion.
Adult scoliosis may be accompanied by loss of lumbar lordosis due to degeneration and disc disease. Anterior surgery may also help in such cases to restore lordosis. This procedure is called ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion).
Minimally invasive anterior surgery, anterior fusion
This technique is commonly used in adult scoliosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis to increase the fusion rates, correct scoliosis, and restore lordosis. Incisions of 2-3 mm are used. It is less aggressive and causes less bleeding with a lower risk for incisional herniation. Based on the instrumentation and insertion technique used, this procedure is called as XLIF or DLIF.