A prospective randomized controlled study comparing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion techniques for degenerative spondylolisthesis: unilateral pedicle screw and 1 cage versus bilateral pedicle screws and 2 cages

This report has been verified by one or more authors of the original publication.

47 patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis were randomized to receive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with unilateral or bilateral fixation. The mean operative time and blood loss were significantly lower in the unilateral group than in the bilateral group. After a minimum of 2 years, there were no significant differences between the two groups in their intermittent claudication improvement, back pain score improvement, disability scores for lumbar spinal disorders, or fusion rates. The unilateral group did, however, demonstrate significantly less improvement than the bilateral group in lower-extremity pain and numbness.