AxiaLIF

B13s · #1 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 09:57 PM

http://www.axialif.info/ - would be interesting to hear some opinions about this thing and how it compares say to STALIF ?

mmglobal · #2 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 01:29 AM

B13.... I observed an AXIALIF fusion many months ago and have some clients with them. It's a very interesting surgery and it's creating a bit of hype because it's fast and (hopefully) recovery time is faster without the more invasive procedures involved with more traditional fusion. I wrote about it here:

http://www.ispine.org/forum/showthread.php?t=532

One does need to ask the question.... "if there is a problem, how do you revise it?"

All the best....

Mark

B13s · #3 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 11:03 AM

I watched on one of the web sites whole surgery - looks quite easy (if you can say that about back surgery). However what interest me most are the long term outcomes - also compared to STALIF.
As for revision - this is what website in my first post says: "Complications generally speaking can be dealt with well. If necessary the rod can be removed and it is always possible to supplement the Axialif with posterior screws."

Tim · #4 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 01:19 PM

Hi all
This has been talked about on another forum I visit. They have a Doc who posts regularly and he commented at some length on the AXIALIF technique.
Hope Mark doesn't mind me promoting another forum but the link to this post is: http://messageboard.spine-health.com...c.php?id=11577
Hope this is of some help and fosters further discussion on this and other 'new/alternative' fusion techniques such as AXIALIF, XLIF and some of the minimally invasive posterior and anterior approaches.
Mark do you have any experience with or thoughts on the XLIF?
All the best
Tim

mmglobal · #5 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 06:27 PM

I've seen XLIF presented at the conferences for several years. Back in June 2005 at IITS in San Diego, Nuvasive presented XLIF in great detail in a hands-on session that was very informative and interesting. Keep in mind that XLIF is more of an approach... a 'less invasive' way to implant the same set of interbody devices. AXIALIF is a hardware system and a new type of fusion. Discectomy is accomplished blind through the sacrum. There are a lot of questions that must be answered. I appreciate that 'the rod can always be removed'. That kind of reminds me of what we used to say in the early days of ADR. "no problem... if you do ADR and if fails, you can pop it out and still fuse... you haven't burned any bridges." Comforting words, in theory. Not very comforting words in practice.

Mark