Objective        To investigate the extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) in the application of adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion.         Methods        Nine patients who had the adjacent segment degeneration and corresponding lumbocrural pain symptoms in 21 to 119 months (average 47.3 months) after posterior lumbar decompression and interbody fusion with pedicle fixation operation in our department from July 2010 to June 2013 were enrolled in this study. All of them were treated with XLIF. Among them

there were 8 cases with the adjacent segment disease occurring in above the fusion segment

and 1 case in below the fusion segment. Adjacent segment lumbar disc herniation was found in 4 cases

mild lumbar stenosis in 2 cases

lumbar disc herniation with mild lumbar stenosis in 2 cases

and lumbar disc herniation with degenerative lumbar scoliosis in 1 case. Lumbago visual analog score (VAS) and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score (29 points) were employed to judge the operation effect.         Results        Radiographic results showed that all these patients had single segment adjacent segment disease. Their average operative time was 65.6±15.0 min

average blood loss was 27.8±5.6 mL. No intraoperative nerve injury or cerebrospinal fluid leakage was found during the operation. The average hospital stay was 5.7±1.1 d. At the last visit of follow-up

their VAS and lumbar JOA score were 2.8±1.9 and 23.5±3.7

respectively

obviously improved when compared with the preoperative scores (7.9±2.7 and 13.0±5.1

P0.05).         Conclusion        XLIF is an approach with little surgical trauma

short operative time

fewer complications

rapid postoperative recovery

and sound operation effect in the treatment of adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion operation.