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.

There is a substantial obvious learning curve in OLIF. Though conventional Indian surgeons have been exemplanary in open anterior approaches in India. Newer established surgeons who are more familiar with minimally invasive spine surgeries or open common approach may not adopt to anterior approaches soon as the trainings in last decade was towards versatile dorsal approach Instrumentation System based OLIF and cost sensitivity may be another issue to have prevented its general application in India.