Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Orthopedics Surgery

A prospective study carried on 30 patients suffered from incapacitating mechanical low-back pain with or without unilateral radicular pain undergoing minimally invasive TLIF with or without unilateral pedicle screw fixation (group I) or bilateral pedicle screw fixation (group II). Recorded demographic data included sex, age, preoperative diagnosis, and degenerated segment. Operative time, blood loss, hospital say length, complication rates, and fusion rates were also evaluated. The Owestry Disability Index (ODI) score and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score data were obtained. All patients were asked to follow-up at 3 and 6 months after surgery, and once every 6 months thereafter. The mean follow-up was 26.6 months (range 18-26 months). The two groups were similar in sex, age, preoperative diagnosis, and operated level. The unilateral group had significantly shorter operative time, lower blood loss, and shorter hospital time than the bilateral group. The average postoperative ODI and VAS scores improved significantly in each group. No significant differences were found between the two groups in relation to ODI and VAS. This study summarized that: -Age in-group I ranged from 23-71 with mean value 55.6±9.3 and in-group II ranged from 37-68 with mean value 56.2±8.0. There was no significant difference between the two studied groups regarding age. -Males were 8(53.3%) and females were 7(46.7%) in-group I, and in-group II, males were 10(66.7%) and females were 5(33.3%). -The blood loss was significantly less in-group I (unilateral) than in-group II (bilateral); and there was a significant shorter operative time in-group I (unilateral group) than in-group II (bilateral group). -Hospital stay in-group I ranged from 3-6 with mean value 4.3±1.2 and in-group II ranged from 4-8 with mean value 6.0±1.3. There was statistical significant difference between the two studied groups regarding hospital stay

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