Surgical Management of Chronic Low Back Pain

ABSTRACT

Conservative therapy remains the mainstay treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP). If this has failed, surgical options may be considered in carefully selected patients. Still surgical treatment for chronic LBP is a matter of intensive and controversial discussions. Nevertheless, surgical management for chronic (LBP) has been evolved and increased gradually. Spinal fusion has been the established surgical option in cases that did not respond to conservative therapy. Besides spinal fusion, newer technologies such as artificial disc replacement, dynamic stabilization, and spinal cord stimulation are being increasingly considered. Although successful results of these procedures have been published, evidence-based data on the efficacy and benefits of most of these techniques are still lacking. However, empirical data show good or at least satisfactory clinical results of these procedures when they were applied under restrictive indication criteria. Further prospective randomized controlled studies are mandatory to determine the role of these procedures, and basic research is necessary to understand the pathogenesis of LBP at the molecular and genetic levels