Vertebral Body Fracture after Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion in 2 Patients: A Case Report

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES@#We aimed to report 2 cases of coronal vertebral fracture after an OLIF procedure in non-osteoporotic patients without significant trauma, and to review the complications of OLIF.SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW There is a growing but limited literature describing early postoperative complications after OLIF.@*MATERIALS AND METHODS@#Patient 1 was an obese woman who underwent 2-level OLIF with posterior instrumentation procedures and subsequently experienced 2-level coronal plane fractures. Patient 2 was an elderly man who underwent 3-level OLIF without posterior instrumentation and experienced 1 coronal vertebral fracture. We report vertebral body fracture as a complication of OLIF through these 2 cases.@*RESULTS@#Patient 1 was treated nonsurgically after the fractures. The fractures healed uneventfully. However, patient 2 underwent posterior instrumented fusion and had a solid bridging bone above and below the fracture. Factors potentially contributing to these fractures are discussed.@*CONCLUSIONS@#OLIF is an effective procedure for several spinal diseases. However, fracture can occur after OLIF even in non-osteoporotic patients. Factors such as intraoperative end-plate breach, subsidence, cage rolling, and inadequate posterior instrumentation could contribute to the development of fractures after oblique interbody fusion.