Bilateral channel MIS-TLIF vs traditional TLIF for lumbar degenerative diseases in 68 patients

This retrospective, single-center observational cohort study included 68 patients diagnosed with lumbar degenerative diseases who underwent surgical intervention at Ningbo No.6 Hospital between April 2021 and February 2022. The study compared bilateral channel minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) to traditional TLIF, with a mean follow-up of 12.7 ± 1.7 months.

For secondary outcomes, the study reported statistically significant differences between groups for operation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, and length of hospital stay. However, no absolute numbers, effect sizes, p-values, or directions were provided for these outcomes.

For primary clinical efficacy, VAS scores and ODI were significantly lower than preoperative values at 7 days postoperatively and final follow-up, with statistically significant differences reported. Fusion rates were 89.5% (38 cases) in the traditional group and 93.3% (30 cases) in the bilateral channel MIS-TLIF group, with no statistically significant difference between groups.

Safety and tolerability were not reported, including adverse events, serious adverse events, or discontinuations. Key limitations include the retrospective design, single-center setting, and lack of randomization. The practice relevance suggests bilateral channel MIS-TLIF is feasible and may reduce surgical duration and radiation exposure, but causation cannot be inferred from this observational study.