Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)

Key Points

Anterior lumbar interbody fusion is a surgery on the lower back where multiple vertebrae are fused together.
In this surgery, the spine is accessed from the front (anterior) via the abdomen.
Cervical laminoplasty is used to treat multiple conditions of the lumbar spine (lower back), including degenerative disc disease, spinal fractures, scoliosis, kyphosis, flat back syndrome, spondylolisthesis and spinal instability from other causes.

Find a Spine Surgeon Learn About Non-Surgical Spine Procedures

Overview

This procedure is used to fuse, or join, two vertebrae in the lumbar spine (lower back) together. The bones are joined using bone grafts, screws and plates.

During a posterior cervical foraminotomy, the surgical site is accessed from the front (anterior) of the body through the abdomen.    

What it Treats

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) is used to treat patients with different conditions of the lumbar spine (lower back), including:

Degenerative disc disease
Spinal fractures
Scoliosis
Kyphosis
Flat back syndrome
Spondylolistheses
Spinal instability from other causes

Anatomy of the Spine

Explore an interactive model of the spine.

Spine Procedures and Treatments

Learn about different spine conditions  

What Matters

Learn the important questions to ask when selecting a spine surgeon.