Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion For Lumbar Degenerative Disease: Patient Selection And Perspectives

Bekir Yavuz Uçar, Çağri Özcan, Ömer Polat, Tayfun Aman

University of Health Sciences, Umraniye Education and Research Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Istanbul, Turkey

Correspondence: Çağri Özcan
University of Health Sciences, Umraniye Education and Research Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Elmalikent Mh 34764 Umraniye, Istanbul, Turkey
Email cagriozcann@gmail.com

Abstract: Most adults will experience low back pain during their lifetime, with most of these instances resolving or improving without sequelae in a few weeks. For the small number of patients with severe, recalcitrant pain, lumbar fusion may be required, particularly when concomitant leg pain or deformity is present. Lumbar interbody fusion surgery is the usual treatment for degenerative lumbar disease, but it requires a long recovery period. Many surgical techniques have been described in the literature for spondylolisthesis. The main objective is to create interbody fusion, decompression of normal structures and a stable vertebrae. TLIF surgical techniques has a long learning curve. Comorbidities of the patient may make surgery more difficult. Methods such as transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), posterior lumbar interbody fusion, anterior lumbar interbody fusion and lateral lumbar interbody fusion are also available for interbody fusion in the literatüre. The aim of this review is to show which patients are more suitable for TLIF surgery and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of TLIF surgery over other techniques.

Keywords: low back pain, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative spine disease, lumbar fusion, lumbar spondylosis