Lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) is a treatment strategy for various spinal disorders, including unstable degenerative conditions not limited to trauma, infection and neoplasia. An LIF can be achieved via posterior approaches, transforaminal interbody Fusion [TLIF] and posterior lumbar interbody fusion [PLIF], and the anterolateral approaches, anterior lumbar interbody Fusion [ALIF], transpsoas lateral lumbar interbody Fusion [LLIF] and oblique lumbar interbody Fusion [OLIF]. Posterior approaches disrupt the posterior tension band, cause iatrogenic injury to paraspinal musculature, and have limited endplate exposure restricted by thecal sac and nerve roots, which may cause difficulty in correcting coronal imbalance and lordosis restoration.

The indications of OLIF have expanded overtime to include a wide spectrum of degenerative disorders from single level lumbar pathology to multilevel adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS). Large sized spacers are thought to be effective in restoring sagittal and coronal balance of patients in ADS. For a spine surgeon, clear understanding of the local anatomical features and surgical corridors help in achieving a good outcome.

The Objectives of the study are : 

To measure OLIF operative windows from L2–L3 to L4–L5 level in normal patients and patients with ADS.

To assess various anatomical changes that determine the feasibility of OLIF technique following MRI based morphometric evaluation in ADS