Description of diagnostic and surgical characteristics in the treatment groups.
| Patient characteristics | VTDR | ALIF | Comparison [p-value] |
|---|---|---|---|
| N (total = 179) | 48 | 131 | - |
| Mean age (SD) [years] | 49.1 (12.5) | 45.1 (9.3) | 0.023 |
| Female [%] | 43.8 | 71.8 | <0.001 |
| Disc herniation [%] | 66.7 | 23.7 | <0.001 |
| Additional spinal pathology (%) | - | 9.9 | - |
| ASA unknown | - | 12.2 | - |
| ASA1 (%) | - | 46.6 | |
| ASA2 (%) | - | 40.5 | |
| ASA > 2 (%) | - | 0.8 | |
| Previous treatment 3-6mo. (%) | - | 13.7 | - |
| Previous treatment 6-12mo. (%) | - | 19.9 | - |
| Previous treatment >12mo. (%) | - | 66.4 | - |
| Bisegmental surgery [%] | 56.3 | 21.4 | <0.001 |
| Treated segment L3-4 [%] | 2.1 | 3.8 | 0.64 |
| Treated segment L4-5 [%] | 27.1 | 21.4 | |
| Treated segment L5-S1 [%] | 70.8 | 74.8 | |
| Overall decompression performed(%) | 100.0 | 86.3 | 0.007 |
| Discectomy (%) | 100.0 | 86.3 | 0.007 |
| Sequestrectomy (%) | - | 8.4 | - |
| Foraminotomy (%) | - | 5.3 | - |
| Osteotomy (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Laminotomy (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Hemilaminectomy (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Laminectomy (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Facet joint resection partial (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Facet joint resection full (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Flavectomy (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Other type of decompression (%) | - | 0 | - |
| Back pain at baseline (SD) | 8.2 (1.9) | 6.9 (2.2) | <0.001 |
| Leg pain at baseline (SD) | 7.1 (2.9) | 4.9 (2.9) | <0.001 |
| Average follow-up interval (SD)[months] | 16.4 (8.9) | 14.5 (8.0) | 0.20 |