Lateral mass fusion for lower back pain.

Forty patients who underwent Wiltse's lateral mass fusion by two different surgeons for spondylolisthesis or degenerative disc disease have been independently reviewed. It was found at follow-up (mean 22 months +/- S.D. 14 months) that factors that affected the final result were the age of the patient, the presence of preoperative nerve root symptoms, previous disc surgery, and incomplete fusion. The duration of symptoms, length of follow-up, preoperative spondylolysis, and the extent of the fusion did not appear to affect the result. This series confirms the previous reports that Wiltse's mass fusion is a good technique for relieving pain in the majority of patients.