O-arm navigation-guided unilateral biportal endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion using a lateral lumbar interbody fusion cage.

Abstract

Unilateral biportal endoscopic surgery has received attention in the field of minimally invasive spinal surgery because of its various advantages, including minimized musculoligamentous injury, low postoperative pain, and faster recovery, compared with conventional open spinal surgery. Navigation system advancements have improved the precision of instrument placement and cage positioning, thereby facilitating the insertion of larger cages in the unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (UBE-TLIF). In this study, we demonstrated the safety and efficacy of lateral lumbar interbody fusion cage insertion in UBE-TLIF with the assistance of O-arm navigation.