ABSTRACT
Low back pain is one of the most commonly cited reasons for patients to schedule an appointment with a physician. It has been cited as the most common cause for lost work and wages in the workforce in the United States (1,2). Despite the frequency of visits to the physician and the economic impact, there is no clear consensus on the appropriate management and treatment of patients with lumbar back pain (3). Surgical and nonsurgical options exist and in most situations, conservative care can avail a patient to an asymptomatic result. But when a patient fails supportive conservative care, surgical intervention in the form of spinal surgery and fusion is indicated (4). With the goal being the elimination of the offending disc and pain generator and stabilization of an unstable spine coupled with the rebalancing and re-establishment of appropriate balance of the spine. This has been accomplished through a variety of means including posterior spinal instrumentation alone, anterior interbody fusion alone, and a combination of both, the 3608 fusion (5-7).
