Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42232398›Full record

ReviewSurgical neurology international2026

The Wiltse paraspinal approach in lumbar surgery: A systematic review.

Thania de Oca Mora, Jonathan Samuel Zuñiga Cordova, Daniel Sánchez, David Benavides, Luis Felipe Luis García Ayón, Carlos Peñafiel Salgado

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Surgical neurology international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Thania de Oca MoraDepartment of Neurosurgery and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Universidad La Salle, Facultad Mexicana de Medicina, CMDX, Mexico.
Jonathan Samuel Zuñiga CordovaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, CMDX, Mexico.
Daniel SánchezFaculty of Medicine, Westhill University, CMDX, Mexico.
David BenavidesDepartment of Neurosurgery and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Universidad La Salle, Facultad Mexicana de Medicina, CMDX, Mexico.
Luis Felipe Luis García AyónDepartment of Neurosurgery and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Universidad La Salle, Facultad Mexicana de Medicina, CMDX, Mexico.
Carlos Peñafiel SalgadoDepartment of Neurosurgery and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Universidad La Salle, Facultad Mexicana de Medicina, CMDX, Mexico.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The Wiltse paraspinal approach utilizes the natural cleavage plane between the multifidus and longissimus muscles to minimize tissue trauma. Despite its integration into minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), standardized evidence across anatomical and clinical domains remains fragmented. Methods: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-compliant systematic review was conducted across major medical databases through June 2024. Results: A total of 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Anatomical evidence confirmed a reproducible intermuscular plane, most identifiable at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels. Technically, the approach provided effective exposure for decompressions and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions. Clinical comparisons demonstrated significantly reduced intraoperative blood loss and lower early postoperative pain versus conventional midline approaches, with equivalent long-term outcomes. Conclusion: The Wiltse approach is a reliable, muscle-sparing technique and remains a cornerstone of contemporary MISS.

Indexed as

Lumbar spineMinimally invasive spine surgeryMuscle-sparingTransforaminal lumbar interbody fusionWiltse approach

Identifiers

PMID42232398
PMCPMC13224259

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.