@profevl Thank you for your updated information. I also had ALIF surgery at L5-S1, but the surgeon did not insert screws. He went in from the front, just under my naval, removed the bad disc, installed the medical disc, and performed the fusion.

I have seen others mention the additional screws being used, but this was never brought up by my surgeon. I am 7 months post-op and my back has been healing nicely. Unfortunately, I have permanently locked muscles in my right side, the oblique muscles that wrap around the hip. This has kept me fro fully recovering, as these muscles go into severe cramps even when using very light weight for rehab. I've been searching for three years and not one of the 30+ medical professionals I've seen can tell me what is happening.