Rhabdomyolysis following minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: Case report

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyolysis results from the release of large quantities of muscle cell contents into plasma resulting in a classic triad of symptoms – muscle pain, weakness, and brown urine. Only a handful of rhabdomyolysis cases occurring after spinal surgery have been reported. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 36-year-old male underwent an uneventful right-sided, minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (miTLIF) for intractable lower back pain and right lower extremity radiculopathy attributed to L4-S1 degenerative spondylosis (DS). Postoperatively, the patient complained of intractable lower extremity pain resistant to medical management. He was subsequently diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, and aggressive intravenous fluid resuscitation resulted in complete recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Rhabdomyolysis should be diagnosed and treated promptly with aggressive intravenous fluid resuscitation to avoid acute kidney injury following miTLIF surgery.