Journal of spinal disorders & techniques
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Jul 2011
Long-term durability of minimal invasive posterior transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a clinical and radiographic follow-up.
Both open and minimally invasive lumbar fusion surgeries (MIS) are used to treat patients with symptomatic degenerative spinal pathologies. Open lumbar fusion surgery studies have reported excellent short-term safety and long-term clinical outcomes. MIS has shown excellent safety and short-term clinical success, but there is very little information on its long-term clinical durability. ⋯ The results of this study support the long-term clinical effectiveness of MIS TLIF for varying diagnoses. These results suggest that those undergoing a 1-level or 2-level lumbar fusion improve equally, and that older patients do well with MIS surgery long term. Reoperation rates were acceptable, with excellent surgical durability at 49 months. The benefit of decompression was not assessed in this study, and future studies should assess its impact long term.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Jul 2011
Microsurgical posterolateral transmuscular approach for lumbar foraminal stenosis.
Retrospective review of 39 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for lumbar foraminal stenosis from 2004 to 2009. ⋯ Posterolateral transmuscular approach with microsurgical foraminotomy provided excellent surgical results. Coronal thin-sliced MRI can be useful for diagnosis of this disease.