Adjacent-level symptomatic fracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Vertebral augmentation is an effective and minimally invasive procedure that is used extensively worldwide for the treatment of osteoporosis vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). New pain from adjacent vertebra fracture (AVF) after initial cement augmentation has gradually been given attention, but the exact causes of AVF are still controversial. The purpose of this study was to analyze the associated incidence, risk factors, and possible causative mechanism of symptomatic AVF, and to evaluate the intrinsic relationship between cement leakage into the disk and AVF.

[Preliminary experiences in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion].

Objective: To explore clinical application of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the management of lumbar disorders and discuss its indications, surgical techniques and clinical effectiveness.

Methods: From Jan 2005 to Dec 2006, 31 selected patients (22 males and 9 females, aged from 41 to 63 years) with degenerative lumbar diseases were treated with minimally invasive TLIF assisted by METRx X-Tube micro-endoscopy system. The index diagnosis was lumbar disc herniation with Lumbar spinal stenosis in 7, lumbar disc herniation with segmental instability in 16, grade 1 to 2 of lumbar spondylolisthesis in 8.