Fusion Techniques
A 52-year-old man with L4-L5 spondylolisthesis and bilateral leg pain has failed 6 months of conservative treatment. The surgeon plans a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). The patient asks about the differences between TLIF and other fusion techniques. Regarding TLIF:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
TLIF was developed by Harms and Rolinger in 1982 as a modification of PLIF; it uses a unilateral pos...
Advantages over PLIF include less neural retraction (unilateral access), reduced risk of dural tear ...
TLIF requires more neural retraction than PLIF; it approaches through the midline; Kambin triangle i...
The procedure involves facetectomy (partial or complete), disc removal, endplate preparation, cage i...
Complications include cage malposition, subsidence (especially with small cages or endplate violatio...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option