Table 1 The basic characteristics of the included studies

Heo [15]

Retrospective

Korea

BE-TLIF

23

61.4 ± 9.4

7/16

L3-4(3);L4-5(17);

L5-S1(3)

13.4 ± 2.5

Degenerative spondylolisthesis; Isthmic spondylolisthesis; Central stenosis with instability; Central stenosis with concomitant foraminal stenosis(23)

Epidural hematoma(1);

Cage subsidence(1)

MIS-TLIF

46

63.5 ± 10.5

19/27

L3-4(4);L4-5(29); L5-S1(13)

13.4 ± 2.5

Degenerative spondylolisthesis; Isthmic spondylolisthesis; Central stenosis with instability; Central stenosis with concomitant foraminal stenosis(46)

Dural tear(1); Epidural hematoma(1); Superficial wound infection(1); Deep vein Thrombosis(1); Cage subsidence(2)

Kim [21]

Retrospective

Korea

BE-TLIF

32

70.5 ± 8.26

17/15

L2-3(1);L3-4(3); L4-5(20);L5-S1(8)

27.2 ± 5.4

Degenerative spondylolisthesis(26); Isthmic spondylolisthesis(6)

Epidural hematoma(1);

Transient palsy(1)

MIS-TLIF

55

67.3 ± 10.7

25/30

L3-4(2);L4-5(46); L5-S1(7)

31.5 ± 7.3

Degenerative spondylolisthesis(48); Isthmic spondylolisthesis(7)

Epidural hematoma(1);

Transient palsy(2)

Kang [8]

Retrospective

Korea

BE-TLIF

47

66.87 ± 10.41

17/30

L2-3(4);L3-4(7);

L4-5(34);L5-S1(20)

14.5 ± 2.3

Lumbar spinal stenosis; Spondylolisthesis(47)

Incomplete decompression(1); Hematoma(2);

Dural tear(3)

MIS-TLIF

32

66.38 ± 9.45

17/15

L2-3(1);L3-4(9);

L4-5(22);L5-S1(11)

15.78 ± 3.16

Lumbar spinal stenosis; Spondylolisthesis(32)

Incomplete decompression(2); Hematoma(1);

Dural tear(1);Infection

(1)

Gatam [16]

Retrospective

Indonesia

BE-TLIF

72

55.1 ± 5.12

26/46

L3-4(8);L4-5(56);

L5-S1(8)

12

Single level degenerative spondylolisthesis(72)

Dural tear (3)

MIS-TLIF

73

52.3 ± 6.13

28/45

L3-4(10);L4-5(48);

L5-S1(15)

12

Single level degenerative spondylolisthesis(73)

Postoperative infection(2);

Cage subsidence(2)

Zhu [14]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

35

50.94 ± 12.12

16/19

L4-5(28);L5-S1(7)

15.29 ± 1.98

Lumbar spinal stenosis(19);Lumbar disk herniation(7);Spondylolisthesis(9)

Transient lower extremity

numbness(2)

MIS-TLIF

41

53.44 ± 14.37

19/22

L3-4(2);L4-5(25); L5-S1(14)

16.12 ± 2.59

Lumbar spinal stenosis(21);Lumbar disk herniation(13);Spondylolisthesis(7)

Transient lower extremity

numbness(2);Epidural

hematoma(1)

Ni [20]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

27

50.4 ± 11.4

9/18

L2-3(2);L3-4(0);L4-5(18);L5-S1(7)

13.3 ± 1.0

Lumbar disk herniation with instability(15); Lumbar spinal stenosis with instability(12)

No complications

MIS-TLIF

33

53.4 ± 13.5

15/18

L2-3(0);L3-4(3);L4-5(21);L5-S1(9)

13.4 ± 1.2

Lumbar disk herniation with instability(21); Lumbar spinal stenosis with instability(12)

No complications

Jiang [19]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

25

63.28 ± 8.51

9/16

L4-5(24);L5-S1(1)

NR

Single-segment lumbar stenosis with instability(25)

No complications

MIS-TLIF

25

59.68 ± 10.38

8/17

L4-5(23);L5-S1(2)

NR

Single-segment lumbar stenosis with instability(25)

No complications

Song [12]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

28

54.7 ± 10.0

10/18

L3-4(1);L4-5(22); L5-S1(5)

14.1 ± 1.5

Meyerding ISpondylolisthesis(28)

Slight decrease in muscle

strength(1)

MIS-TLIF

28

56.3 ± 11.6

8/20

L3-4(1);L4-5(20); L5-S1(7)

14.3 ± 1.4

Meyerding ISpondylolisthesis(28)

Transient lower extremity

numbness(1)

Kong [11]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

35

55.1(39–70)

13/22

L2-3(1);L3-4(5);

L4-5(17);L5-S1(10);

L4-S1(2)

14.7 ± 2.5

Lumbar disk herniation with spinal stenosis(15); Lumbar spinal stenosis(12); Lumbar spinal stenosis with mild spondylolisthesis(8)

Dural tear(1); Postoperative epidural hematoma(1)

MIS-TLIF

40

56.0(41–73)

18/22

L1-2(1);L2-3(4);

L3-4(7);L4-5(15);

L5-S1(12); L4-S1(1)

15.0 ± 3.4

Lumbar disk herniation with spinal stenosis(9); Lumbar spinal stenosis(15); Lumbar spinal stenosis with mild spondylolisthesis(16)

Dural tear(1); Postoperative epidural hematoma (1); Infection(1)

Song [9]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

25

52.36 ± 10.69

9/16

L3-4(2);L4-5(13); L5-S1(10)

14.04 ± 1.51

Lumbar spinal stenosis; Lumbar disk herniation; Spondylolisthesis(25)

Transient lower extremity

numbness(1)

MIS-TLIF

24

56.38 ± 10.53

8/16

L3-4(2);L4-5(10); L5-S1(12)

14.79 ± 1.59

Lumbar spinal stenosis;Lumbar disk herniation; Spondylolisthesis(24)

Transient lower extremity

numbness(4)

Huang [10]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

38

60.13 ± 7.36

22/16

L4-5(28);L5-S1(10)

NR

Degenerative

Spondylolisthesis(19); Central stenosis with segmental

Instability(5); Isthmic

Spondylolisthesis(4); Lumbar disk herniation with

spinal stenosis(10)

Dural tear(2)

MIS-TLIF

44

59.68 ± 6.94

26/18

L3-4(1);

L4-5(30);L5-S1(13)

NR

Degenerative

Spondylolisthesis(22); Central stenosis with segmental

Instability(7); Isthmic

Spondylolisthesis(6); Lumbar disk herniation with

spinal stenosis(9)

Transient neurologic symptom(2)

Heo [17]

Retrospective

Korea

BE-TLIF

32

65.2 ± 19.5

10/22

L4-5(27);L5-S1(5)

13.9 ± 2.6

Degenerative spondylolisthesis(20); Isthmic spondylolisthesis(5); Central stenosis(4); Foraminal stenosis(3)

Postoperative epidural hematoma(2);Pneumonia (1);Transient neurologic symptoms(1);Postoperative ileus(1);Dura tear(1); Wound dehiscence

(1); Cage subsidence(4)

MIS-TLIF

41

62.3 ± 10.6

16/25

L4-5(30);L5-S1(11)

15.0 ± 3.3

Degenerative spondylolisthesis(27); Isthmic spondylolisthesis(5); Central stenosis(5); Foraminal stenosis(2); Recurrent disk herniation(2)

Postoperative epidural hematoma(1);Transient neurologic symptom(1); Cage subsidence(1)

Yu [18]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

23

60.8(45–74)

11/12

L3-4(3);L4-5(11);L5-S1(9)

38.96 ± 3.17

Degenerative spondylolisthesis(16); Isthmic spondylolisthesis(7)

Cage subsidence(2); Dural tear(1)

MIS-TLIF

18

60.7(46–71)

8/10

L3-4(3);L4-5(8);L5-S1(7)

39.50 ± 3.35

Degenerative spondylolisthesis(14); Isthmic spondylolisthesis(4)

Dural tear(2); Cage subsidence(1); Postoperative infection(1)

Yang [13]

Retrospective

China

BE-TLIF

30

49.3 ± 3.5

12/18

L3-4(6);L4-5(15);L5-S1(9)

NR

Single-level lumbar spinal stenosis; Single-level lumbar disk herniation(30)

Dural tear(1); Transient neurologic symptom(1)

MIS-TLIF

35

50.9 ± 3.6

20/15

L3-4(7);L4-5(21);L5-S1(7)

NR

Single-level lumbar spinal stenosis; Single-level lumbar disk herniation(35)

Transient neurologic symptom(1); Postoperative epidural hematoma(1)