Oblique lateral interbody fusion combined with lateral plate fixation for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine: A retrospective study

Oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) is a minimally invasive decompression technique used in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases (LDDs). It is usually combined with posterior pedicle screw fixation to decrease perioperative complications. Few studies have reported the efficacy of OLIF combined with lateral plate instrumentation (OLIF-LP) for the treatment of LDDs. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of OLIF combined with lateral plate instrumentation for the treatment of LDDs. From May 2020 to September 2020, the clinical data of 52 patients who underwent OLIF-LP were analyzed. The operation time, blood loss, and complications were recorded. The radiological parameters, visual analog scale score, and Oswestry Disability Index were evaluated. The average operation time, blood loss, and length of hospital stay were 75.41 ± 11.53 minutes, 39.57 ± 9.22 mL, and 7.22 ± 1.85 days, respectively. The visual analog scale score and Oswestry Disability Index both improved significantly after surgery (7.23 ± 1.26 vs 2.15 ± 0.87; 60.27 ± 7.91 vs 21.80 ± 6.32, P < .01). The postoperative disk height was 13.02 ± 8.83 mm, which was much greater than the preoperative value. The postoperative foraminal height improved significantly (16.18 ± 3.49 vs 21.54 ± 2.12 mm, P < .01), and the cross-sectional area improved from 88.95 ± 14.79 to 126.53 ± 8.83 mm(2) (P < .001). The radiological fusion rate was 88% at the last follow-up. No major complications, such as ureteral injury, vascular injury, or vertebral body fracture, occurred. Use of the OLIF-LP technique can help avoid lumbar posterior surgery and minimize the operative time and blood loss. OLIF-LP can achieve 1-stage intervertebral fusion and instrumentation through a single small incision.