ABSTRACT
I INTRODUCTION The successful fusion of the lumbrosacral articulation is often a challenge to the spinal surgeon. The proximity of important neurovascular structures makes operative accesses to, and placement of, stable spinal hardware across this region extremely challenging (Fig. 1). More importantly, the high stresses in this area create a biomechanical environment hostile to a stable bony fusion. Thus, even the most experienced of spinal fusion surgeons have had difficulty in achieving a successful lumbrosacral arthrodesis, with reported pseudoarthrosis rates ranging from 8 to 41% (1-5).
