Fig. 1

a–g Posterior lumbar interbody fusion using a unilateral cage with unilateral pedicle screws. a The patients were placed in the prone position under general anaesthesia. b The lamina and posterior joints of the symptomatic side were exposed, and a transpedicular screw system was placed under X-ray guidance. c Unilateral facetectomy and hemilaminectomy were performed on the symptomatic side, and the symptomatic nerve root was detected and decompressed carefully. d Autogenous morselised bone obtained from the laminectomy and facetectomy was inserted into the cage and disc space. e, f The length of the incision was not greater than 3 cm. g Three days after surgery, the patients could get out of bed and walk