Objective:

To compare the clinical efficacy of endoscope-assisted oblique lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-OLIF) with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases, specifically from January 2020 to December 2023.

Key Findings:

• No significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups (P > 0.05).
• Endo-OLIF group had shorter operative time, less blood loss, lower drainage, shorter hospital stay, and lower early post-operative VAS and ODI scores (P < 0.05).
• No significant differences in VAS and ODI scores at 1 year post-operatively (P > 0.05).
• Cage fusion and subsidence rates were similar between groups (P > 0.05).
• No significant difference in complication rates (P > 0.05).
• Endo-OLIF group showed better restoration of disc height and lumbar lordosis (P < 0.05).

Interpretation:

Endo-OLIF provides advantages in terms of minimally invasive surgery, reduced blood loss, and better early recovery metrics compared to PLIF, while both techniques yield satisfactory outcomes, highlighting its potential for broader clinical application.

Limitations:

• Retrospective design may introduce selection bias.
• Limited sample size and follow-up duration, which may affect the generalizability of the results.

Conclusion:

Endo-OLIF offers significant advantages over PLIF in terms of surgical outcomes and warrants broader clinical application and long-term follow-up to validate these findings.