Assessing the Outcome of Transforminal LumbarInterbody Fusion and Posterolateral LumbarFusion with Instrumentation in Treatment ofDegenerative Lumbar Disorders

Abstract

Background: Degenerative lumbar disorders are relatively common condition that typically affects persons over the age of 50 and are more common in females. Patients typically present with a constellation of symptoms that include back pain, radiculopathy, and/or neurogenic claudication. Aim of the Work: to assess the clinical and radiological outcome of Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) and posterolateral fusion (PLF) in the treatment of degenerative lumbar disorders. Patients and Methods: a prospective study was conducted on patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis and degenerative lumbar spine stenosis who were admitted to Neurosurgical department at Ain Shams University hospital and Arab contractors’ medical center and underwent lumbar spine fixation with either transforaminal interbody fusion or posterolateral fusion from February 2017 to February 2019. The patients were divided into two groups according to the operative procedure done for each group. Group A (20 patients) included patients who underwent transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Group B(20 patients) included patients who underwent posterolateral fusion. Results: We found that both TLIF and PLF provide improvement of disability and pain in patients with degenerative lumbar disorders. TLIF is superior to PLF with regard to achieving radiographic fusion. There is no strong evidence to support the use of TLIF over traditional PLF in treatment of degenerative lumbar disorders, especially with the increased material costs associated with interbody fusion.Conclusion: both TLIF and PLF provide improvement of disability and pain in patients with degenerative lumbar disorders. TLIF is superior to PLF with regard to achieving radiographic fusion.