Skip to main content

Table 1 Results on time to return to work and rate of return to work

From: A systematic literature review of time to return to work and narcotic use after lumbar spinal fusion using minimal invasive and open surgery techniques

Study

Country

Number of patients (Technique)

Fusion levels

Follow up

Time to return to work Mean (weeks)

Return to work Rate (%)

MIS

OPEN

MIS

OPEN

MIS vs. OS studies

 Adogwa et al. (2011) [21]

US

15 (MIS-TLIF)15 (OS-TLIF)

1-level

2 years

Median: 8.5 [IQR: 4.4–21.4]

Median: 17.1 [IQR: 1.7–35.9]

At 2 years: ~90%

At 2 years: ~80%

 Kim et al. (2010a) [23]

South Korea

43 (MIS-ALIF) 32 (OS-ICF)

NR

41.1 months (MIS) 32.9 months (OS)

~14.8 (fulltime work)

~14.4 (fulltime work)

-

-

 Parker et al. (2012) [18]

US

15 (MIS-TLIF)15 (OS-TLIF)

1-level

2 years

8.3

16.3

-

-

 Parker et al. (2013) [22]

US

50 (MIS-TLIF) 50 (OS-TLIF)

1-level

2 years

Median: 7 [4–11]

Median: 11 [9–16]

At 6 months: ~95%

At 9 months: ~80%

MIS studies

 Eckman et al. (2012)a [32]

NR

606 (MIS-TLIF)

1

NR

-

-

96%

-

 Eckman et al. (2014) [31]

US

1005 (MIS-TLIF)

1- or 2-level

3 months

-

-

96% of procedures (same-day discharge group)93% of procedures (hospital stay group)

-

 Kim et al. (2009) [24]

South Korea

48 (MIS-ALIF) 46 (MIS-TLIF)

NR

32.6 months (ALIF) 29.7 months (TLIF)

6.1 months (ALIF)10.9 months (TLIF)

-

-

-

 Rouben et al. (2011) [25]

US

169 (MIS-TLIF)

1-level (124)2-level (45)

49 months

11 weeks (for 97% RTW right after surgery)17 weeks (for 57% compensation workers)

-

97% RTW right after surgery 57% compensation workers RTW

-

 Kim et al. (2010b) [35]

South Korea

63 (MIS-ALIF)

NR

6 years

-

-

83%

-

 Kim et al. (2012) [34]

South Korea

44 (MIS-ALIF)

1-level

71.8 months (DS) 66.4 months (IS)

-

-

91%

-

 Zeilstra et al. (2013) [33]

US

131 (MIS-AxiaLIF)

1-level

21.8 months

-

-

64%44% (for fulltime workers)

-

OS studies

 Berg et al. (2009) [36]

Sweden

72 (OS-PLF/PLIF)

1-level (33)

2 years

-

-

-

72.0%

 Corenman et al. (2013) [37]

NR

36 (OS-TLIF)

1-level (24)2-level (12)

41.9 months

-

-

-

84.4%

 Fritzell et al. (2004) [29]

Sweden

72 (OS-PLF) 71 (OS-VSP)74 (OS-"360”)

NR

2 years

-

-

-

33%

 Gornet et al. (2011) [28]

US

172 (OS-ALIF)

1-level

2 years

-

96 days

-

-

 Robertson et al. (2004) [26]

New Zealand

35 (OS-PLF)

1-level (12)2-level (16)

31 months

-

3–50 months

-

100%

 Takahashi et al. (2011) [27]

Japan

21 (OS-TLIF)

1-level (18)2-level (3)

26.1 months

-

-

-

90% after 3.9 months

  1. “360 procedure”: Posterolateral fusion plus internalfixation with the variable screw placement device plus interbody fusion; ALIF: Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion; AxiaLIF: Axial Lumbar Interbody Fusion; DS: Degenerative Spondylolisthesis; ICF: Instrumented Circumferential Fusion; IQR: InterQuartile Range; MIS: Minimal Invasive Surgery; NR: Not Reported; OS: Open Surgery; PLF: PosteroLateral Fusion; PLIF: Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion; PSG: Prior Surgery Group; RTW: Return To Work; TLIF: Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion; VSP: Posterolateral fusion plus internal fixation with the variable screw placement device
  2. aPublished as abstract