Objective:

The aim of this study was to define a method to identify the location of the great vessel bifurcation (GVB) in relation to the L5/S1 disc and measure the lumbo-sacral angle (LSA) at L5/S1 using routine lumbar spine MRI images on standard PACS software. The information can be used for surgical planning of anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) at L5/S1 with a plate and cage.

The effective capture of outcome measures in the healthcare setting can be traced back to Florence Nightingale’s investigation of the in-patient mortality of soldiers wounded in the Crimean war in the 1850s.

Only relatively recently has the formalised collection of outcomes data into Registries been recognised as valuable in itself.

With the advent of surgeon league tables and a move towards value based health care, individuals are being driven to collect, store and interpret data.

Following the success of the National Joint Registry, the British Association of Spine Surgeons instituted the British Spine Registry. Since its launch in 2012, over 650 users representing the whole surgical team have registered and during this time, more than 27 000 patients have been entered onto the database.

There has been significant publicity regarding the collection of outcome measures after surgery, including patient-reported scores. Over 12 000 forms have been directly entered by patients themselves, with many more entered by the surgical teams.

Questions abound: who should have access to the data produced by the Registry and how should they use it? How should the results be reported and in what forum?

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:871–4.

Statement of Purposes

Functional Restoration (FR) and spinal fusion are both used as treatment for patients with chronic low back pain however opinions are divided over their long term efficacy. This study examines the 18 month to 8 year outcomes of stand-alone lumbar fusion (STALIF) at L5/S1 and FR in similar groups of patients.