The frequency of accidental dural tears in minimally invasive spinal fusion techniques.

BACKGROUND

Accidental dural tears (ADTs) are one of the most frequent complications of spinal surgery. Minimally invasive spinal surgery (MISS) has been described as a promising approach in the literature. ADT has been extensively reported in connection with open spinal surgery, but less so in the context of MISS.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We reviewed 72 patients who had undergone minimally invasive spinal fusions techniques.

RESULTS

Ten patients (13.9%) had an ADT. We recommended bed rest for 2.5 to 5 days, depending on the type of repair and the size of cerebrospinal fluid leakage. One patient suffered from a transient meningism, whereas the others remained free of symptoms associated with ADT.

CONCLUSION

Despite the rather small series investigated in the study, the frequency of ADT in MISS appears to be comparable to that encountered when using open surgical techniques.