Clinical, Functional, and Radiologic Outcome of Single- and Double-Level Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion in Patients with Low-Grade Spondylolisthesis.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective is to determine the functional, clinical, and radiological outcome of patients with low-grade spondylolisthesis undergoing single- or double-level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This quasi-interventional study was conducted during a 2-year period from 2016 to 2018 in Shiraz, Southern Iran. We included all the adult (≥18 years) patients with low-grade spondylolisthesis (Meyerding Grade I and II) who underwent single- or double-level TLIF in our center. The spinopelvic parameters including pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), lumbar lordosis (LL), and segmental LL (SLL) were measured. The pain intensity and disability were measured utilizing the visual analog scale (VAS) for back and leg pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), respectively, after 1 year.

RESULTS

Overall, we included a total number of 50 patients with mean age of 54.1 ± 10.48 years. After the surgery, the PI ( = 0.432), PT ( = 0.782), and SS ( = 0.466) were not found to be statistically changed from the baseline. However, we found that single- or double-level TLIF was associated with increased LL ( < 0.001) and SLL ( < 0.001). Regarding the clinical outcome measures, both back ( = 0.001) and leg ( < 0.001) VAS improved after the surgery significantly. In addition, we found that improved leg VAS was positively correlated with improved ODI ( = 0. 634; < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Single- or double-level TLIF is associated with increased global and SLL along with improved leg and back pain and disability in patients with low-grade spondylolisthesis. Interestingly, improved leg pain is correlated to improved disability in these patients.