Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Novel Mini-open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Published on: June 6, 2025
How I do it: mini invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion
Adrien Thomas May1, Kaissar Farah2, Mikael Meyer2
1Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpital de La Timone, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, Rue Saint-Pierre 264, Marseille, France. adrien_may@hotmail.com.
Background:
Minimally invasive approaches for lumbar fusion are aimed at reducing soft tissue injury in order to minimize surgical morbidity and facilitate recovery.
Method:
Applied to lumbar fusion, such an approach is described as a mini-open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). Important anatomical landmarks are reviewed. Indications, advantages, and limitations are discussed, and a step-by-step description of the procedure is presented.
Results:
Decompression, fixation, and bone grafting can be achieved efficiently through this approach with lesser blood loss, shorter hospital stay, reduced rate of general complications, and infections as well as a lower readmission rate.
Conclusion:
The mini-open TLIF technique, as presented here, is a safe and efficient procedure to achieve lumbar fusion with a reduced rate of complications related to surgery.
