Surgical Treatment of Andersson Lesion of the Lumbar Spine with Minimal Invasion: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Andersson lesion (AL) refers to a destructive vertebral or disco-vertebral lesion of the spine in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Against the backdrop that the best surgical option for AL remains controversial, this work serves as the first case report of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) combined with posterior pedicle screw fixation to treat AL of the lumbar spine under minimal invasion. Case presentation: In this case report, the patient involved was a female aged 37 diagnosed with AL (L3-L4). OLIF combined with pedicle screw fixation was carried out to achieve stabilization of the lumbar spine. It turned out that the patient experienced significant pain relief in her excellent post-operative recovery, with her post-surgical radiographs indicating good stability and bony fusion. The patient now remains disease-free with no low back pain or neurological deficit at the two-year follow-up. Conclusion: OLIF combined with pedicle screw fixation thus has proven to be an ideal therapeutic option for treating AL of the lumbar spine.