A comparative study on the clinical efficacy of UBETlif and Mis-Tlif in the treatment of degenerative Lumbar Stenosis with Instability

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To compare the clinical efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopic technique transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (UBE-TLIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) in treating degenerative lumbar stenosis with instability. Methods A retrospective study was performed on 64 patients with degenerative lumbar stenosis with instability admitted between January 2018 and December 2021 and divided into UBE-TLIF and MIS-TLIF groups. Comparison of data; surgical index; postoperative complications; the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for back pain and leg pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and MOS 36-Item Short-Form health survey (SF-36) were used to evaluate the function before surgery, 1 and 3 months after surgery, and at the last follow-up; and adult spinal deformity (ASD) at the last follow-up. Results All patients successfully completed the surgery, with a follow-up time of 6 to 16 months. There were no statistical differences in general data between groups. Reagarding surgical indicators: the UBE-TLIF group had more advantages in terms of intraoperative blood loss, surgical incision length, and postoperative hospital stay, although the operation time was longer. Regarding clinical efficacy evaluation indicators: the VAS, ODI, and SF-36 in both groups significantly improved at each time point after surgery, there was no difference in other time points. Compared with the MIS-TLIF group, there was no significant difference in the VAS or SF-36. The ODI of the UBE-TLIF group was better than the MIS-TLIF group 1 month after surgery, with no statistical difference at other time points. ASD incidence in both groups was 3.125%, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion Compared with MIS-TLIF, UBE-TLIF achieved a similar interbody fusion effect in the treatment of degenerative lumbar instability with spinal stenosis, optimised surgical indicators, and reduced postoperative stress response.