Spine Education

A transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is performed to remove a portion of a disc that is the source of back or leg pain. Like the PLIF (posterior lumbar interbody fusion) procedure, bone graft is used to fuse the spinal vertebrae after the disc is removed. However, the TLIF procedure places a single bone graft between he vertebrae from the side, rather than two bone grafts from the rear as in the PLIF procedure. Inserting the graft from the side where the facet joint has been removed is an effort to avoid moving or damaging nerve roots during the procedure.

Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)