Pedicle Screw with Cement Augmentation in Unilateral Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study

To evaluate safety and efficacy of pedicle screw with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) augmentation in unilateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (uTLIF) in osteoporotic patients.

We randomly divided 50 osteoporotic patients with degenerative lumbar diseases diagnosed between February 2014 and November 2015 into 2 groups. One group underwent standard uTLIF, and the other group underwent uTLIF with PMMA augmentation. All patients were scheduled to attend a series of regular follow-up evaluations. Oswestry Disability Index, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, visual analog scale score, lumbar lordotic angle, segmental lordotic angle, and disc space height (DSH) at each follow-up were collected and analyzed.

The 2-year follow-up was completed by 24 patients in the uTLIF group and 23 patients in the PMMA group. Oswestry Disability Index, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, and visual analog scale score showed significant improvements after surgery in both groups, with no significant difference between groups. DSH in the uTLIF group was 8.7 ± 2.3 mm and in the PMMA group was 10.7 ± 1.6 mm. Fusion rate in the uTLIF group was 19/24 and in the PMMA group was 21/23. DSH and fusion rate in the PMMA group were higher than those in the uTLIF group. No severe complications were observed after PMMA injection.

Pedicle screw with PMMA augmentation can increase fixation stability and reduce DSH loss in uTLIF. Moreover, PMMA in the vertebral body did not impede the interbody fusion ability in uTLIF.