Clinical Outcomes of the Trinica(R) Anterior Lumbar Plate: Fixed Screws vs. Variable Screws

In the cervical spine, literature shows that a static plate utilizing fixed screws loses its ability to load share and to limit motion following subsidence of the interbody spacer. In contrast, a dynamic plate system utilizing variable-angle screws maintains load-sharing and stiffness following subsidences. Increasing the load on the bone graft in the interbody space increases the rate of graft fusion. Although literature exists supporting the in vivo use of anterior cervical plate systems and the advantages of screw angulation, there is no data evaluating and supporting the use of anterior plate systems in the lumbar spine. The different biomechanical loads between cervical and lumbar spine suggest cervical data may not generalize to the lumbar spine. Additionally, it will be useful to characterize the effect of different screw configurations on subsidence and stress shielding and fusion success. The proposed study will not only assess clinical outcomes following Trinica ALP implantation, but will also provide valuable comparison data regarding two different screw configurations. The study is a prospective, randomized, between groups design. The subject pool will be comprised of individuals who are appropriate for spinal fusion surgery, and who meet the inclusion criteria. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of three screw configurations. All subjects will receive structural allograft (Puros A Anterior Allograft) as interbody support. Other procedures identified by the surgeon to be in the best interest of the patient may be completed but are not required by the protocol.