Comparing Cortical Trajectory Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusions Against Pedicle Trajectory Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusions and Posterolateral Fusions: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 90-day Outcomes.

Background: The cortical screw (CS) trajectory for pedicle screw placement is believed to require a smaller incision and less tissue dissection resulting in lower blood loss and faster healing; however, this has not yet been confirmed in clinical studies.

Objective: To compare CS transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions (TLIF), traditional pedicle screw (TPS) trajectory TLIFs, and posterolateral fusion (PLF) without interbody for differences in operative characteristics and complications.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study (CS, TPS, and PLF) looking at patients who underwent lumbar fusion with 1 or 2 levels.