Impact of Local Steroid Application in Extreme Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Neural injury is a well-known complication following extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion (XLIF). It has been found that up to 9.4% of patients will have either temporary or persistent neurologic deficit. This occurs with traversal of the psoas muscle or direct injury to lumbosacral plexus or sympathetic ganglion. While often temporary, it can cause hip flexor weakness, thigh numbness, or pain. Several studies have demonstrated reduced patient reported pain scores following steroid administration, particularly in the early postoperative period. However, few studies have investigated the efficacy of intraoperative local injection of corticosteroid in reducing the incidence and duration of postoperative pain or neurologic injury for XLIF patients.