A prospective multicentric questionnaire-based evaluation of learning curveof first seven consecutive cases of OLIF of a surgeon/institute.

Lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) is atreatment strategy for various spinal disorders, including unstabledegenerative conditions not limited to trauma, infection and neoplasia. An LIFcan be achieved via posterior approaches, transforaminal interbody Fusion[TLIF] and posterior lumbar interbody fusion [PLIF], and the anterolateralapproaches, anterior lumbar interbody Fusion [ALIF], transpsoas lateral lumbarinterbody Fusion [LLIF] and oblique lumbar interbody Fusion [OLIF]. Posteriorapproaches disrupt the posterior tension band, cause iatrogenic injury toparaspinal musculature, and have limited endplate exposure restricted by thecalsac and nerve roots, which may cause difficulty in correcting coronal imbalanceand lordosis restoration.

There is a substantial obviouslearning curve in OLIF. Though conventional Indian surgeons have been exemplanaryin open anterior approaches in India. Newer established surgeons who are morefamiliar with minimally invasive spine surgeries or open common approach maynot adopt to anterior approaches soon as the trainings in last decade wastowards versatile dorsal approach Instrumentation System based OLIF and costsensitivity may be another issue to have prevented its general application in India.