Background:

Improvement in patient-reported outcomes after minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) is poorly defined. As such, the purpose of this study was to quantify improvements in Visual Analogue Scale back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Short Form-12 (SF-12) Mental and Physical Composite scores following MIS-TLIF.

Methods:

A surgical registry of patients who underwent primary 1-level MIS-TLIF during 2014-2015 was reviewed. Comparisons of Visual Analogue Scale back and leg pain, ODI, and Short Form-12 Mental and Physical Composite scores were performed using paired t tests from preoperative to each postoperative time point. Analysis of variance was used to estimate the degree of improvement in back and leg pain over the first postoperative year. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients presenting with predominant back (pBP) or leg (pLP) pain. Multivariate linear regression was performed to compare patient-reported outcome scores by subgroup.

Results:

A total of 106 patients were identified. Visual Analogue Scale back and leg scores, and ODI improved from preoperative scores at all postoperative time points (P < .05 for each). Patients with pBP (n = 68) and patients with pLP (n = 38) reported reductions in both back and leg pain over the first postoperative year (P < .05 for each). In the pBP cohort, patients experienced significant reductions in ODI after the first 6 postoperative weeks (P < .05 for each). In the pLP cohort, patients experienced significant reductions in ODI throughout the first postoperative year (P < .05 for each). Patients with pLP and pBP experienced similar reductions in back pain, whereas patients with pLP experienced significantly greater reductions in leg pain at all postoperative time points (P < .05 for each).

Conclusions:

The current study suggests patients experience significant improvements in back and leg pain following MIS-TLIF regardless of predominant symptom.

Clinical relevance:

These results can assist surgeons when counseling their patients on the magnitude of symptom improvement they may experience following MIS-TLIF.