Recently, the percutaneous endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (PELIF) technique has become the most representative minimally invasive technique in spinal surgery. PELIF is widely used in the treatment of various degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine. However, this technique has a long learning curve with adverse consequences for the patient if the surgeon is unsure of the indications and contraindications of this technique. There is currently no expert consensus on PELIF in spinal surgery in China. To standardize the application of this technique in various diseases of the lumbar spine in China, the Chinese Study Group of Minimal Invasive Spinal Surgery, Chinese Association of Spine and Spinal Cord, and Chinese Study Group for Lumbar Spine, Chinese Association of Spine and Spinal Cord, of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine have taken the lead in developing this Chinese expert consensus on the application PELIF through a modified Delphi survey study method for the reference of our colleagues. The consensus covers the following aspects of the PELIF: indications and contraindications, advantages and disadvantages, preoperative evaluation, anesthesia methods and surgical procedures, treatment and prevention of complications, and postoperative follow-up.
近年来，脊柱内镜辅助下腰椎椎体间融合术（PELIF）已成为脊柱外科最具代表性的微创技术，被广泛应用于各类腰椎退行性疾病的治疗之中。然而，该技术具有较长的学习曲线，且手术医生对该技术的适应证和禁忌证把握不准时，可能会给患者带来相应的不良后果。目前我国脊柱外科专业尚无脊柱PELIF技术相关专家共识。为规范该技术在国内腰椎各类疾病中的应用，由中国康复医学会脊柱脊髓损伤专业委员会脊柱微创学组及脊柱脊髓专业委员会腰椎研究学组牵头，通过改良Delphi调查研究法制定了本共识，以供广大同道参考。本共识内容包括PELIF技术的适应证与禁忌证、优势和劣势、术前评估、麻醉方式及手术操作、并发症处理及预防和术后随访。.

UNASSIGNED: A modified Delphi method was used to establish a consensus. Stakeholders and experts were invited to participate in the expert panel. Best practice statements and decision-making questionnaires were distributed to the panel. Panel members were asked to mark \"Strongly disagree\" to \"Strongly agree\" after a series of statements over several rounds until either a consensus was reached or the decision-making method was deemed unsuitable for reaching a consensus.The most common cause of lumbar pain is intervertebral degeneration, which leads to degenerative disc disease and lumbar disc herniation. There is a lack of unanimity regarding appropriate patient protocols and rehabilitation expectations for Korean medical care. The long-term viability of Korean medical treatment, further adoption in the institutional setting, and specific patient outcomes are contingent on the existence of appropriate Korean medical programs.A Korean medical expert panel of 17 practitioners employed a modified Delphi method to achieve consensus on Korean medical care for lumbar disc herniation. The panel first reviewed the literature and guidelines relevant to Korean medical treatment for lumbar disc herniation. The panel members considered questionnaires intended to determine \"standardized\" Korean medical care recommendations for patients with a wide range of symptoms of lumbar disc herniation. Each panel member participated in a round of voting, which was followed by an opinion-collecting session online. Consensus was defined as a ≥75% agreement among the respondents.In the first round, 144 questionnaires across 5 domains were administered to the expert panels. After reviewing the responses and open-ended comments collected in the first round, the authors modified the questionnaires to 53 items and proceeded. In round 2, consensus was achieved in all 53 survey questions. The final treatment pathway comprised a standardized and comprehensive care approach for lumbar disc herniations in 4 types of medical institutions.This study identified a core set of evidence- and consensus-based principles that are essential to a comprehensive model of care, incorporating identification, referral, and management of patients with lumbar disc herniation.

Degenerative disease of the spine, in the form of intervertebral disc degeneration and bony growth, causing osteophytes and impinging upon the spinal canal and neural foramina, is the most frequent disorder affecting the spine. In this chapter we first discuss briefly the indications for computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in suspected degenerative spine disease. We then describe changes of disc height, signal intensity, and disc contour with aging and repeated microtrauma, as well as the imaging techniques most appropriate to image them. A grading system for lumbar disc changes is provided. Stenosis of the canal and neural foramina is reviewed next, concluding with a description of degenerative changes affecting the vertebral endplates and bone marrow.

Four MRI variables have recently been suggested to be independently associated with a diagnosis of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion or protrusion. Midline intervertebral disk herniation, and partial intervertebral disk degeneration were associated with intervertebral disk protrusion, while presence of a single intervertebral disk herniation and disk material dispersed beyond the boundaries of the intervertebral disk space were associated with intervertebral disk extrusion. The aim of this retrospective, cross-sectional study was to determine whether using these MRI variables improves differentiation between thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusions and protrusions. Eighty large breed dogs with surgically confirmed thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusions or protrusions were included. Randomized MRI studies were presented on two occasions to six blinded observers, which were divided into three experience categories. During the first assessment, observers made a presumptive diagnosis of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion or protrusion without guidelines. During the second assessment they were asked to make a presumptive diagnosis with the aid of guidelines. Agreement was evaluated by Kappa-statistics. Diagnostic accuracy significantly improved from 70.8 to 79.6% and interobserver agreement for making a diagnosis of intervertebral disk extrusion or intervertebral disk protrusion improved from fair (κ = 0.27) to moderate (κ = 0.41) after using the proposed guidelines. Diagnostic accuracy was significantly influenced by degree of observer experience. Intraobserver agreement for the assessed variables ranged from fair to excellent and interobserver agreement ranged from fair to moderate. The results of this study suggest that the proposed imaging guidelines can aid in differentiating thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusions from protrusions.

Interbody fusion techniques have been promoted as an adjunct to lumbar fusion procedures in an effort to enhance fusion rates and potentially improve clinical outcome. The medical evidence continues to suggest that interbody techniques are associated with higher fusion rates compared with posterolateral lumbar fusion (PLF) in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis who demonstrate preoperative instability. There is no conclusive evidence demonstrating improved clinical or radiographic outcomes based on the different interbody fusion techniques. The addition of a PLF when posterior or anterior interbody lumbar fusion is performed remains an option, although due to increased cost and complications, it is not recommended. No substantial clinical benefit has been demonstrated when a PLF is included with an interbody fusion. For lumbar degenerative disc disease without instability, there is moderate evidence that the standalone anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) has better clinical outcomes than the ALIF plus instrumented, open PLF. With regard to type of interbody spacer used, frozen allograft is associated with lower pseudarthrosis rates compared with freeze-dried allograft; however, this was not associated with a difference in clinical outcome.

Establishing an appropriate treatment strategy for patients presenting with low-back pain, in the absence of stenosis or spondylolisthesis, remains a controversial subject. Inherent to this situation is often an inability to adequately identify the source of low-back pain to justify various treatment recommendations, such as lumbar fusion. The current evidence does not identify a single best treatment alternative for these patients. Based on a number of prospective, randomized trials, comparable outcomes, for patients presenting with 1- or 2-level degenerative disc disease, have been demonstrated following either lumbar fusion or a comprehensive rehabilitation program with a cognitive element. Limited access to such comprehensive rehabilitative programs may prove problematic when pursuing this alternative. For patients whose pain is refractory to conservative care, lumbar fusion is recommended. Limitations of these studies preclude the ability to present the most robust recommendation in support of lumbar fusion. A number of lesser-quality studies, primarily case series, also support the use of lumbar fusion in this patient population.