Comparison between Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in Lumbar Degenerative Disease Patients

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(mini-TLIF) is an increasingly popular method because of several advantages, including rapid patient recovery, less postoperative pain, and minimized iatrogenic injury of soft tissue and muscle. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical and imaging outcomes after mini-TLIF procedures. Results are compared with open posterior lumbar interbody fusion(oPLIF, Group B) and mini-TLIF(Group A) approach. METHODS: Between March 2007 and May 2008, mini-TLIF and oPLIF were performed in 23 and 36 consecutive patients with single or multilevel lumbar degenerative disease. Clinical outcomes were assessed by postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS) score, operation time, volume of blood loss, number of days to ambulation and duration of hospital stay. To assess fusion rate, all patients underwent postoperative radiography. And postoperative access were compared with an institutional reference series of 36 oPLIF procedures. RESULTS: Fusion success outcomes were obtained in 23(100%) out of 23 patients with mini-TLIF procedure. Mean VAS scores decreased from 8.2 to 1.9 in group A and from 8.1 to 2.4 in group B. The operation time, volume of blood loss, number of days to ambulation and duration of hospital stay were reduced in group A compared with group B. There was no complication associated to mini-TLIF procedure. CONCLUSION: Mini-TLIF yielded good clinical and radiological outcomes with safe and low complication. Further long- term investigating study is required to assess the definitive advantage of mini-TLIF.