A new study published in Spine compares minimally invasive and open spinal fusion for patients with spondylolisthesis.
The study authors examined five retrospective and five prospective articles covering 602 patients who underwent minimally invasive or open spinal fusions for grade I or II spondylolisthesis. The researchers found the studies in Medline/PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE and Scopus.
The researchers found:
1. Patients undergoing MIS procedures reported less blood loss and 1.74 fewer days in the hospital.
2. There wasn't a significant difference in functional or pain outcomes between the two groups.
3. The MIS patients reported on average 19 minutes longer operative times.
4. Open surgery patients had 1.84 higher final functional scores than the MIS patients.
5. The study authors concluded MIS is "safe and effective" for treating patients with grade I or II spondylolisthesis.