ReviewJournal of spine surgery (Hong Kong)2025
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion implants: a narrative review of current trends and future directions.
Review in Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Functional Ureteral Obstruction Due to Retroperitoneal Tissue Interposition During Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Report of Two Cases.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Objective: Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a safe and effective type of lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) technique. Each LIF technique requires implants specifically designed to accommodate its distinct anatomical corridor and dimensional constraints. This narrative review is about the implants used for ALIF. Specifically, what materials are used to create the implants, and how those properties collectively contribute to arthrodesis. It also summarizes the role of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, in the creation of the next generation of ALIF implants. Methods: Relevant articles were identified through a comprehensive search of PubMed and Google Scholar, using keywords like "Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)", "ALIF Implants", "3D-Printed Implants", "Medical Applications of 3D Printing", "Off-the-Shelf (OTS) Implants", "Patient-Specific Implants". Only peer-reviewed, English-language publications discussing implant materials, properties, or 3D printing integration for ALIF were included. Key Content and Findings: Titanium and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are the primary materials used in ALIF implants. Recent advances in 3D printing technology can create implants with specific design features previously unattainable with conventional methods, which can improve their overall durability and utility. These 3D-printed implants can be customized in terms of porosity, stiffness, and surface texture to promote fusion, increase implant longevity, and support indirect decompression. 3D printed patient-specific implants are now available. Implants are built to specifically match the computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging rendering of the patient's anatomy. Conclusions: ALIF is a safe and effective procedure for patients with appropriate indications. The anatomical corridor utilized in ALIF allows for the placement of implants with a large footprint, which, along with specific implant properties, contributes to the high fusion rates associated with this technique. Advances in 3D printing technology now enable the production of titanium and PEEK ALIF implants with enhanced design features, further improving the procedure's safety and efficacy profile.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.