Objective:

Uniportal Endoscopic Posterolateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion provides one of the least invasive form of minmally invasive surgery allowing large size cages which were commercially available for open and tubular microscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion( TLIF) to be inserted through this approach. We studied the effect of such a technique on a series of degenerative scoliosis patients who had low grade degenerative scoliosis.

Methods:

Uniportal Endoscopic Posterolateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion( Endo-TLIF) was applied to patients who had 10-40 degrees of degenerative adult scoliosis. Preoperative and post-operative one week, three months and final follow up clinical status of visual analog scale, oswestery disability index, perioperative complications and MacNab’s criteria were collected. Roentgenogram to assess changes in Cobb’s angles were done.

Results:

There was statistically significant improvement of preoperative, 1 week post-operative, 3months post-operative and final follow up mean of Visual Analog Scale score with 7.72(5-10), 3.68(3-6), 2.88(2-4) and 1.96 (1- 3) respectively and with Oswestry Disability Index mean of 70.4 (52-86), 35.12 (26-56 ), 27.68( 24-38) and 24 ( 20-28 ) respectively , p<0.05. In terms of MacNab's criteria, 100% had good to excellent result. In terms of scoliosis measured by Cobb's angle, there was statistically significant improvement.

Conclusion:

Uniportal Endoscopic Posterolateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion is a safe and effective procedure in mild to moderate degenerative scoliosis with good early clinical results and improvement in coronal Cobb’s angle, it can be considered as an option if a short segment(s) fusion is planned for adult degenerative scoliosis.