Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion-indications and clinical experience

摘要

Background: Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) has emerged as one of the common procedures performed by spine surgeons. Back pain and radiculopathy due to degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, or deformity are the usual indications. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques have proven to be effective in TLIF as they are associated with less blood loss, fewer wound complications and infections, faster recovery, and decreased hospital costs. The novel technique described in this study helps to achieve a circumferential lumbar fusion using a unilateral posterior approach, via a muscle-dilating exposure, thereby minimizing the approach-related morbidity.