Analysis of risk factors for adjacent superior vertebral pedicle-induced facet joint violation during the minimally invasive surgery transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a retrospective study

The purpose was to explore possible risk factors of facet joint violation induced by adjacent superior vertebral pedicle screw during the minimally invasive surgery transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF). A total of 69 patients with lumbar degenerative disease, who underwent MIS-TLIF were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative computed tomography images were used to assess the facet joint violation. The correlation of facet joint violations with gender, age, body mass index (BMI), the adjacent superior vertebral level, fusion segment numbers, position of screw insertion, straight leg-raising test (SLRT) results, clinical diseases and renal dysfunction were analyzed by Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression analysis. The incidence of adjacent superior facet joint violations was 25.4 %. Chi-square test showed the patients with age