Spine surgeons at Hospital for Special Surgery evaluated neurological deficits after lateral lumbar interbody fusion for a new study published in Spine.
The researchers used electronic medical records and office notes for 451 patients who underwent LLIF from March 2006 to April 2012, with a total of 293 patients reaching inclusion criteria. The patients were followed for 15.4 months on average.
The researchers found a decreasing proportional trend over the six years for postoperative sensory deficits, motor deficits and anterior thigh pain, with statistically significant trends for SDs in the immediate postoperative setting. Nearly statistically significant trends were reported for SDs at the last follow-up as well as TP immediately after surgery and at the last follow-up.
The study authors considered the decreasing deficits representative of the institutional learning curve for LLIF over six years.
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