COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LUMBAR PLEXUS PATH ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES THROUGH THE PSOAS MUSCLE

ABSTRACT Objective: Spine surgery with a minimally invasive lateral approach and validate possible anatomical differences between the right and left sides. Methods: Four measurements (cm) were taken on 38 cadavers: the distance between the lumbar plexus and the transverse process (L4-L5) and the distance between the lumbar plexus and the midline of the lumbar spine, both on the right and left sides. Results: The mean distance between the lumbar plexus and the transverse process of L4-L5 was 1.03 cm and the distance to the midline was 3.99 cm for the right side. The averages of the left side were 1.13 cm and 3.38 cm, respectively. There is statistical difference between the sides (p<0.05) using the non-parametric Wilcoxon test. Conclusions: The authors suggest that the transverse process might be used as an anatomical landmark to define the surgical approach through the psoas muscle. Level of Evidence IV; Cadaveric study.