Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a spinal fusion procedure usually performed at L5/S1 or L4/5.

It is carried out either via a transabdominal or lateral retroperitoneal approach. A discectomy is performed, an interbody spacer introduced and fixed in place with screws with or without a supporting plate (depending on the hardware design) .

In some instances, the procedure needs to be combined with posterior instrumented fusion with pedicle screws and rods .