Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the impact of a minimally invasive lumbar one-level fixation on trunk mobility and quality of life compared with the preoperative condition in 26 consecutive patients. Methods: The following data were collected preoperatively and postoperatively for the statistical analysis: maximal trunk extension and flexion angles, Visual Analog Scale of pain and Oswestry Disability Index scores. Results: There was improvement in all variables. Statistical significance was observed in trunk extension, pain, and Oswestry Disability Index. Although mobility in trunk flexion was higher in average values after surgery, this difference was not statistically demonstrated. Conclusion: Minimally invasive one-level lumbar fixation does not cause reduction of trunk flexibility in comparison to the mobility before surgery.
Highlights
A frequent question for the spine surgeon when indicating a lumbar fusion is the amount of movement restriction that will be imposed by the fixation, and how much this will impact on the patient’s quality of life
The results show that with good indication criteria and appropriate surgical techniques, one-level minimally invasive lumbar fixation can bring statistically significant benefits in terms of reducing the pain and disability, within a few months after surgery, as evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index Questionnaire (ODI)
Based on the results, it can be concluded that one-level minimally invasive lumbar fixation does not cause a reduction of trunk flexibility, compared to the flexibility measured in the preoperative state
Summary
A frequent question for the spine surgeon when indicating a lumbar fusion is the amount of movement restriction that will be imposed by the fixation, and how much this will impact on the patient’s quality of life. The biomechanical manifestation of disc degeneration is segmental hypermobility with widening of the neutral zone,[1,2] the clinical complaint is usually limitation of movement, with consequent pain or neuromuscular stabilization mechanisms. In this context, a study was conducted to evaluate trunk mobility before and after one-segment minimally invasive lumbar fixation, and its relationship with pain and functional performance, using physical evaluation instruments and validated clinical outcome scales
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