Trial reportEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2013
Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) versus posterolateral instrumented fusion (PLF) in degenerative lumbar disorders: a randomized clinical trial with 2-year follow-up.
Trial report in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 124 citations in OpenAlex.
- Surgical Treatments for Lumbar Spine Diseases (TLIF vs. Other Surgical Techniques): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in surgery · 2022Pooled it
- Fusion rate and influence of surgery-related factors in lumbar interbody arthrodesis for degenerative spine diseases: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Musculoskeletal surgery · 2020Pooled it
- Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion versus posterolateral fusion in degenerative lumbar spondylosis: A meta-analysis.Medicine · 2016Pooled it
- Addition of TLIF does not improve outcome over standard posterior instrumented fusion. 5-10 years long-term Follow-up: results from a RCT.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2017Trial
- Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion vs. posterolateral instrumented fusion: cost-utility evaluation along side an RCT with a 2-year follow-up.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2014Trial
- Predictive performance of CT hounsfield units and MRI vertebral bone quality score following single-level lumbar spinal fusion surgery: which is better.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Utility of bioactive glasses as fusion substrates for cervical and lumbar fusion: a systematic review.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2026Review
- A pre-market, open-label, single-arm study to evaluate b.Bone for posterolateral fusion treatment of degenerative thoracolumbar, lumbar or lumbosacral spinal disease (b.Spine clinical trial).Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Does adding an interbody cage in L4-L5 posterolateral fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis and stenosis improve clinical outcome?Brain & spine · 2026Article
- Hounsfield units vs. vertebral bone quality score: which is a better predictor of screw loosening after single-level lumbar interbody fusion?European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025Article
- A spontaneous anterior fusion of lumbar spine after posterolateral lumbar fusion with pedicle screw-plate system.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Article
- An overview of magnesium-based implants in orthopaedics and a prospect of its application in spine fusion.Bioactive materials · 2024Review
- Spontaneous Lumbar Interbody Fusion Following Posterolateral Fusion Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis of 5-Year Data.Indian journal of orthopaedics · 2024Article
- Fusion's Location and Quality within the Fixated Segment Following Transforaminal Interbody Fusion (TLIF).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Biomechanical analysis of Instrumented decompression and Interbody fusion procedures in Lumbar spine: a finite element analysis study.Medical & biological engineering & computing · 2023Article
- In Vitro and In Vivo Comparison of Bone Growth Characteristics in Additive-Manufactured Porous Titanium, Nonporous Titanium, and Porous Tantalum Interbody Cages.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Article
- Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with a silicon nitride cage demonstrates early radiographic fusion.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2022Article
- Biomaterials for Interbody Fusion in Bone Tissue Engineering.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe aim of the present study was to analyze outcome, with respect to functional disability, pain, fusion rate, and complications of patients treated with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in compared to instrumented poserolateral fusion (PLF) alone, in low back pain. Spinal fusion has become a major procedure worldwide. However, conflicting results exist. Theoretical circumferential fusion could improve functional outcome. However, the theoretical advantages lack scientific documentation.
methodsProspective randomized clinical study with a 2-year follow-up period. From November 2003 to November 2008 100 patients with severe low back pain and radicular pain were randomly selected for either posterolateral lumbar fusion [titanium TSRH (Medtronic)] or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion [titanium TSRH (Medtronic)] with anterior intervertebral support by tantalum cage (Implex/Zimmer). The primary outcome scores were obtained using Dallas Pain Questionnaire (DPQ), Oswestry disability Index, SF-36, and low back pain Rating Scale. All measures assessed the endpoints at 2-year follow-up after surgery.
resultsThe overall follow-up rate was 94 %. Sex ratio was 40/58. 51 patients had TLIF, 47 PLF. Mean age 49(TLIF)/45(PLF). No statistic difference in outcome between groups could be detected concerning daily activity, work leisure, anxiety/depression or social interest. We found no statistic difference concerning back pain or leg pain. In both the TLIF and the PLF groups the patients had significant improvement in functional outcome, back pain, and leg pain compared to preoperatively. Operation time and blood loss in the TLIF group were significantly higher than in the PLF group (p < 0.001). No statistic difference in fusion rates was detected.
conclusionsTransforaminal interbody fusion did not improve functional outcome in patients compared to posterolateral fusion. Both groups improved significantly in all categories compared to preoperatively. Operation time and blood loss were significantly higher in the TLIF group.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.