Imaging study of the effect of postural changes on the retroperitoneal oblique corridor in degenerative lumbar scoliosis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of postural changes on access for the OLIF of L2 to L5 in patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis.

METHODS

Twenty-one individuals with degenerative lumbar scoliosis were chosen at random, 11 with left-sided convexity and 10 with left-sided concavity. Axial T2-weighted images were used to measure the following variables: (1) the distance between the left psoas major muscle and the abdominal aorta; (2) the angle of the surgical access; (3) the distance between the psoas major muscle attachment point and the vertebral body's transverse axis; (4) the region of the psoas major muscle above the vertebrae; and (5) the width-to-thickness ratio. A statistical analysis of the measured parameters was done.

RESULTS

The L2-5 segment in the supine position had a significantly longer window distance in the left convex and left concave groups than in the right lateral recumbent posture (P < 0.05). In all segments, the left concave group outperformed the left convex group, which was substantially higher in the right lateral recumbent posture than in the supine position (P < 0.05). After the position change, the spanning area was significantly higher compared to the same segment in the supine position. The psoas major muscle's morphology was stretched.

CONCLUSIONS

The right lateral recumbent position limits access to OLIF for degenerative lumbar scoliosis, and the "safety window" for OLIF operation in the parietal region is smaller in the left convex group compared to the left concave group, posing a higher risk of intraoperative vascular and neurological injury.