Multivariate analysis of rates of 90-day and 2-year surgical complications by category for both groups.
| Complication | ALIF (n = 578) | TLIF (n = 1156) | Adjusted OR (95% CI) | P | ||
| n | % | n | % | |||
| Operative | ||||||
| Dural tear | 5 | 0.8% | 6 | 0.5% | 1.88 (0.45–7.44) | 0.360 |
| Nerve root injury | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.1% | - | - |
| Vascular injury | 3 | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | - | - |
| Visceral injury | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | - | - |
| Transfusion | 1 | 0.2% | 2 | 0.2% | 1.15 (0.05–13.09) | 0.911 |
| Neurological | ||||||
| Nerve root motor deficit | 12 | 2.1% | 19 | 1.7% | 1.22 (0.53–2.70) | 0.618 |
| Nerve root sensory deficit | 7 | 1.2% | 13 | 1.1% | 1.24 (0.41–3.34) | 0.677 |
| Radiculopathy | 18 | 3.1% | 42 | 3.6% | 0.86 (0.45–1.58) | 0.655 |
| Spinal cord deficit | 1 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.0% | - | - |
| Cauda equina deficit | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.1% | - | - |
| Wound/Surgical Site Infection | ||||||
| Wound dehiscence | 7 | 1.2% | 19 | 1.7% | 0.75 (0.26–1.87) | 0.559 |
| Seroma | 11 | 1.9% | 16 | 1.3% | 1.52 (0.61–3.67) | 0.347 |
| Hematoma | 2 | 0.4% | 5 | 0.4% | 0.99 (0.13–5.17) | 0.995 |
| Deep wound infection | 7 | 1.2% | 30 | 2.6% | 0.50 (0.18–1.18) | 0.141 |
| Superficial wound infection | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 0.8% | - | - |
| Mechanical/structural (2 y) | ||||||
| Pseudarthrosis | 22 | 3.7% | 44 | 3.8% | 0.95 (0.52–1.67) | 0.867 |
| Instrumentation failure | 19 | 3.3% | 40 | 3.4% | 0.96 (0.51–1.75) | 0.917 |
| Vertebral body fracture | 4 | 0.7% | 14 | 1.2% | 0.55 (0.15–1.51) | 0.268 |
| Reoperation | 41 | 7.1% | 89 | 7.7% | 0.91 (0.59–1.39) | 0.696 |
| Total No. of surgical complications | 182 | 31.4% | 376 | 32.5% | 0.95 (0.77–1.18) | 0.671 |
| No. of patients affected by surgical complications | 86 | 14.9% | 157 | 13.6% | 1.17 (0.93–1.47) | 0.170 |
Abbreviations: ALIF, anterior lumbar interbody fusion; TLIF, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.
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