Comparative analysis of the efficacy of UBE-PLIF versus conventional PLIF in the treatment of L4-5 degenerative spondylolisthesis

Both UBE-PLIF and conventional PLIF can achieve good clinical outcomes in the treatment of L4-5 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Compared with PLIF, UBE-PLIF has the minimally invasive advantages of less postoperative drainage, faster relief of low back pain, better protection of paravertebral muscles, and lower fat infiltration, and is also comparable to PLIF in terms of complication rate and fusion rate at the final follow-up, and adjacent segmental degeneration. Although PLIF was slightly superior in terms of the magnitude of improvement in some imaging metrics such as SLL, LL, and SSD, the clinical significance of the difference requires further investigation. Overall, UBE-PLIF provides a safe, effective, and less invasive surgical option for L4-5 degenerative spondylolisthesis.