Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar disc disease and listhesis – Is it advantageous?

Abstract

Introduction: Among various spine disorders, degenerative conditions like lumbar disc disease and spondylolisthesis are commonly encountered. Surgery is the option if conservative management fails. Fusion is the only option to alleviate instability. Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) is a promising procedure to achieve this goal. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether unilateral TLIF with one cage is comparable with other established techniques. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study with 11 males & 11 females who have undergone TLIF for disc disease and low grade listhesis. A single TLIF cage was used for single level pathologies. In one patient with contiguous two level disc disease, two level TLIF was performed. Results: Results were analysed with respect to intra-op parameters (like surgery duration, blood loss, etc.) and post-op parameters (like fusion, pain relief, etc.). Oswestry Disability Index was used to measure functional outcome. There was a statistically significant improvement in post-op scores (p<0.0001). One complication in the form of Ischemic Optic Neuropathy was encountered. Conclusion: Proper patient selection and surgeon’s expertise are important for a successful outcome. TLIF has many advantages when compared to other fusion techniques. It is an ideal management for treating degenerative disc disease and listhesis of low grades.