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The frequency of accidental dural tears in minimally invasive spinal fusion techniques
Wolfgang Senker1, Christian Meznik, Alexander Avian
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Landesklinikum Mostviertel Amstetten, Amstetten, Austria.
Background:
Accidental dural tears (ADTs) are one of the most frequent complications of spinal surgery. Minimally invasive spinal surgery (MISS) has been described as a promising approach in the literature. ADT has been extensively reported in connection with open spinal surgery, but less so in the context of MISS.
Patients And Methods:
We reviewed 72 patients who had undergone minimally invasive spinal fusions techniques.
Results:
Ten patients (13.9%) had an ADT. We recommended bed rest for 2.5 to 5 days, depending on the type of repair and the size of cerebrospinal fluid leakage. One patient suffered from a transient meningism, whereas the others remained free of symptoms associated with ADT.
Conclusion:
Despite the rather small series investigated in the study, the frequency of ADT in MISS appears to be comparable to that encountered when using open surgical techniques.
