Clinical Effectiveness and Biochemical Impacts of Minimally Invasive versus Open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to assess and compare the clinical effectiveness, safety, and biochemical impacts of two spinal surgery techniques: open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (open-TLIF) and minimally invasive TLIF (MIS-TLIF). Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature up to April 2023 was conducted across several databases, including PUBMED, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, Web of Science, EMBASE, and CNKI. The search focused on the terms "transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion" or "TLIF" combined with "minimally invasive" or "open." From this search, 44 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Results: The meta-analysis revealed that MIS-TLIF is associated with increased intraoperative radiological exposure but reduced intraoperative blood loss, decreased postoperative drainage volumes, shorter hospital stays, and improved outcomes as measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Biochemically, MIS-TLIF is linked to lower levels of CRP, creatine kinase-muscle/brain (CK-MM), and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) at 24 hours post-operation compared to open TLIF. Conclusions: MIS-TLIF offers superior clinical effectiveness, improved safety profiles, and reduced muscular injury relative to conventional open TLIF. These findings suggest that MIS-TLIF may be a preferable option in spinal surgery settings where the reduction of tissue trauma and rapid recovery are prioritized.