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. 2010 Jun 1;4(2):47-53.
doi: 10.1016/j.esas.2010.03.002. eCollection 2010.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes after minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion

Arnold B Etame  1 , Anthony C Wang  1 , Khoi D Than  1 , Paul Park  1
Affiliations

Clinical and radiographic outcomes after minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion

Arnold B Etame et al. SAS J. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate outcomes after minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF).

Background: MI-TLIF is a relatively novel technique for treating symptomatic spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. It has become a popular option for lumbar arthrodesis largely because of its potential to minimize iatrogenic trauma to the soft tissue, paraspinous muscles as well as to neural elements.

Methods: Literature search using PubMed database.

Results: Eight retrospective clinical studies and 1 prospective clinical study were identified. No randomized studies were found. The indications for surgery were low-back pain and/or radicular symptoms secondary to spondylolisthesis and/or degenerative disc disease. Analysis of radiographic outcomes demonstrated a fusion rate greater than 90% in the vast majority of patients. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in functional outcome parameters at a mean follow-up of 20 months. Comparison of functional outcomes of MI-TLIF patients to a similar matched cohort of patients who underwent conventional open TLIF did not demonstrate any statistically significant difference between both cohorts.

Conclusion: For carefully selected patients, MI-TLIF has a very favorable long term outcome that is comparable to conventional open TLIF, with the added benefit of decreased adjacent tissue injury.

Keywords: Minimally invasive spine; Outcomes; TLIF; Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

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