Spine Procedures
Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusions (TLIF) approaches spinal instability and/or degenerative disc disease from the back of the spine. "Transforaminal" means across the foramen. The foramen is the opening formed by the body of the vertebra and a bone arch called the "lamina". Another element involved in this procedure is called the "facet joint", a small smooth area of bone which occurs in pairs at the back of each vertebra, supporting weight and controlling movement between individual vertebra. During the procedure, a portion of the lamina and the facet joint is removed on one or both sides of the vertebra to gain access to the discs and nerve roots. The surgeon typically works "across the foramen" to remove the degenerated disc and then to insert bone graft materials and/or spacers made of metal or other materials into the disc space. The surgeon also uses screws inserted into the vertebrae, and connected by rods, to maintain proper orientation and stability while the bones fuse.