Comparative Study Between Mini-Open and Open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion as a Treatment in Patients with Degenerative Lumbar Spine

Abstract

pen Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) is widely performed to treat different spine pathologies safely since three decades after being introduced by Harms. However, it is associated with significant postoperative morbidity due to extensive muscle retraction and dissection needed for surgical exposure. Mini-invasive TLIF is a promising technique due to lower complication rates and approach-related morbidity with minimal soft tissue trauma, decreased intra-operative blood loss and risk of transfusion, decreased postoperative pain and analgesic usage, shorter hospital stays, earlier ambulation with faster return to work and thus reduced overall health care costs. The aim of the current study was to evaluate functional outcome of mini-invasive TLIF technique in comparison to conventional open TLIF as regard the intra-operatively and postoperative period till achieving solid fusion. Sixty one patients were enrolled in the current study, were divided into 2 groups; 31 patients were managed by mini-open TLIF technique (Group A), while the other 30 patients were managed by conventional open TLIF technique (Group B). The follow-up period was 24 months for all patients. Inclusion criteria were patients having spinal canal stenosis with unilateral lower limb manifestations and patients with