ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2026
"The protective buffer": Adequate L4-S1 lordosis restoration reduces the symptomatic conversion of radiographic ASD and long-term revision rates - A 5-year multicenter cohort study.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundInadequate restoration of L4-S1 segmental lordosis (SL) is a recognized contributor to adjacent segment disease (ASD). However, evidence regarding its impact on long-term revision rates remains conflicting, primarily due to short follow-up periods that fail to capture the critical transition from radiographic degeneration to symptomatic disease. PURPOSE: To evaluate the 5-year impact of L4-S1 SL restoration on revision rates and to introduce the concept of "Symptomatic Conversion Rate" to quantify the clinical progression of ASD. STUDY
designA multicenter, retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE: A total of 232 patients who underwent L4-S1 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with a minimum 5-year follow-up were included. The cohort was stratified into Adequate and Inadequate Restoration groups based on postoperative L4-S1 SL. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the 5-year revision surgery rate. Secondary endpoints included radiographic parameters (pelvic tilt [PT], pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis [PI-LL] mismatch), implant failure rates, and patient-reported outcome measures (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI], Visual Analog Scale [VAS]). The "Symptomatic Conversion Rate" (the percentage of patients with radiographic ASD progressing to symptomatic ASD) was also assessed.
methodsClinical and radiographic data collected at a minimum of 5 years postoperatively were retrospectively analyzed. The cohorts were compared to assess the influence of L4-S1 SL restoration on long-term survivorship, functional recovery, and ASD progression.
resultsBaseline demographics and PI were comparable between groups (P > 0.05). At the 5-year follow-up, the Inadequate Group exhibited significant pelvic retroversion (PT increased to 21.82° vs. 17.26° in the Adequate Group, P < 0.001). Although radiographic ASD was prevalent in both cohorts (58.1% vs. 38.1%), the Symptomatic Conversion Rate was markedly higher in the Inadequate Group (73.3% vs. 28.1%, P < 0.001). Consequently, the 5-year revision rate was significantly greater in the Inadequate Group (26.4% vs. 2.4%, P < 0.001). The Inadequate Group also demonstrated inferior ODI scores (28.5 vs. 14.2, P < 0.001) and an increased incidence of screw loosening.
conclusionsInadequate L4-S1 SL restoration is an independent risk factor for long-term revision surgery and implant failure following TLIF. Precise restoration provides a crucial "biomechanical buffer," preventing compensatory pelvic retroversion and significantly reducing the conversion of radiographic ASD into symptomatic disease. Achieving this protective buffer should be a primary surgical objective to maximize long-term construct survivorship.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42530596What OpenQuestion holds
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.