Changes in Alignment at Untreated Vertebral Levels Following Short-Segment Fusion Using Personalized Interbody Cages: Leveraging Personalized Medicine to Reduce the Risk of Reoperation

An abnormal postoperative lordosis distribution index (LDI), which quantifies the ratio between the lordosis at L4 to S1 and the lordosis at L1 to S1, contributes to the development of adjacent segment disease and increased revision rates in patients undergoing short-segment lumbar intervertebral fusions. Incorporating preoperative spinopelvic parameters and LDI into the surgical plan for short-segment fusion is important for guiding alignment restoration and preserving normal preoperative alignment in unfused segments. This study examined changes in LDI, segmental lordosis, and lordosis of the unfused levels in patients treated with personalized interbody cage (PIC) implants.