At NASS 2012, Medtronic introduced the Olif25 procedure which allows for psoas preserving access to the L2–L5 levels and incorporates the company’s surgical platform of access, interbody, neuromonitoring, navigation, fixation and biologic options.
According to a company release, this procedure leverages traditional ALIF principles with the in-situ convenience of the less invasive lateral approach. The procedure is referred to as oblique lateral interbody fusion for L2–L5. Utilising an oblique lateral trajectory away from the posterior nerves within the psoas muscle, this procedure is an alternative to approaches dependent on neuromonitoring to traverse the psoas muscle. In addition, the Olif25 procedure allows for easier access around the iliac crest at L4–L5, and it is a step towards more reproducible lateral access to the L5–S1 disc space.
“The Olif25 procedure combines the advantages of the historical open retroperitoneal approach to the anterior spine with the minimally invasive access benefits from more recent lateral techniques,” said Richard Hynes, spine surgeon at The B.A.C.K. Center, Melbourne, USA. “By utilising an oblique lateral approach to the spine, this procedure enables placement of a large interbody graft into the disc space for anterior column support and segmental sagittal alignment while minimising the nerve, muscle, and bone obstacles associated with traditional direct lateral approaches.”
The Olif25 procedure may also be used with Medtronic’s surgical navigation and imaging systems. This allows for decreased exposure to radiation for hospital staff and physicians, and provides intraoperative assessment of the approach and device placement.
