title: Minimally invasive versus open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: evaluating initial experience.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare our experience with minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MITLIF) and open midline transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). A total of 36 patients suffering from isthmic spondylolisthesis or degenerative disc disease were operated with either a MITLIF (n = 18) or an open TLIF technique (n = 18) with an average follow-up of 22 and 24 months, respectively. Clinical outcome was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Oswestry disability index (ODI). There was no difference in length of surgery between the two groups. The MITLIF group resulted in a significant reduction of blood loss and had a shorter length of hospital stay. No difference was observed in postoperative pain, initial analgesia consumption, VAS or ODI between the groups. Three pseudarthroses were observed in the MITLIF group although this was not statistically significant. A steeper learning effect was observed for the MITLIF group.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Orthopédique de la Suisse Romande, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and The University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. cschizas@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schizas
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tzinieris
authors.forename: Elefterios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsiridis
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kosmopoulos
mesh_terms: D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001863:Bone Screws; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome