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Abstract
Study Design
Although the frequency of the oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) procedure has increased in recent years, reports on its complications remain rare. We report 2 cases of vertebral fracture after OLIF.
Objectives
We aimed to report 2 cases of coronal vertebral fracture after an OLIF procedure in non-osteoporotic patients without significant trauma, and to review the complications of OLIF.
Summary of Literature Review
There is a growing but limited literature describing early postoperative complications after OLIF.
Materials and Methods
Patient 1 was an obese woman who underwent 2-level OLIF with posterior instrumentation procedures and subsequently experienced 2-level coronal plane fractures. Patient 2 was an elderly man who underwent 3-level OLIF without posterior instrumentation and experienced 1 coronal vertebral fracture. We report vertebral body fracture as a complication of OLIF through these 2 cases.
Results
Patient 1 was treated nonsurgically after the fractures. The fractures healed uneventfully. However, patient 2 underwent posterior instrumented fusion and had a solid bridging bone above and below the fracture. Factors potentially contributing to these fractures are discussed.
Conclusions
OLIF is an effective procedure for several spinal diseases. However, fracture can occur after OLIF even in non-osteoporotic patients. Factors such as intraoperative end-plate breach, subsidence, cage rolling, and inadequate posterior instrumentation could contribute to the development of fractures after oblique interbody fusion.
REFERENCES
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Fig. 1.
(A) Preoperative and (B) immediate postoperative lateral radiographs of a 60-year-old female patient. (C) Computed tomography scans showing a L3-4 vertebral coronal fracture at 1 week postoperatively. The fracture site showed union at 6 months postoperatively. (D) The fracture site showed union at 6 months postoperatively.
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