ArticleCureus2025
Comparative Analysis of Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (UBE-TLIF) With Dual-Direction Expandable Cages Versus Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion at L5/S1.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives The main objective of this study is to compare clinical and radiological outcomes of unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (UBE-TLIF) with dual-direction expandable cages, versus anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) at L5/S1. Summary of literature review Traditional ALIF and TLIF approaches have limitations. UBE-TLIF with dual-direction expandable cages represents an emerging, minimally invasive alternative with potential advantages in tissue preservation and anatomical restoration. Materials and methods Six patients underwent UBE-TLIF at L5/S1 using expandable titanium cages. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Radiological parameters included disc height and neural foraminal height. Results were compared with ALIF outcomes from 11 literature studies. Results VAS decreased from 7.7 ± 1 to 4 ± 2 (back pain) and 8.2 ± 0.9 to 3 ± 2.1 (leg pain). ODI improved from 59 ± 5.8 to 27.5 ± 15. Disc height increased from 5.6 ± 1.5 mm to 15.8 ± 0.6 mm, and foraminal height from 8.8 ± 4 mm to 16.8 ± 3.4 mm (p < 0.05). Mean operative time was 269.5 minutes, with blood loss of 152 ± 30 mL. Conclusions UBE-TLIF demonstrates outcomes comparable to ALIF, with the advantages of single-position surgery and minimal tissue disruption, representing a viable, minimally invasive alternative for L5/S1 degenerative pathology.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.