Objective: To provide anatomic evidence of preoperative assessment of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) for Chinese patients.

Methods: From the hospital picture archiving and communication system, 400 lumbar magnetic resonance imaging studies of adults performed between November 2016 and January 2017 were selected. L2-3, L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 transverse and sagittal images were studied, and anatomic parameters associated with OLIF surgery, including bare window and psoas window, were measured and recorded. SPSS software was used for data summarization, sorting, and analysis to explore the significance of various anatomic parameters.

Results: OLIF surgical corridors to the L2-S1 discs were found in most magnetic resonance imaging scans studied. The size of the psoas affects the difficulty of psoas muscle traction. It is relatively easy to perform OLIF surgery in older women. Most of the human iliac arteries were bifurcated and aggregated in front of the L4-5 intervertebral disc. The lower the aggregate level of the common iliac vein, the less likely it was to have the OLIF surgical corridor in the L5-S1 segment. The most frequently used lengths for a lumbar interbody cage for OLIF for Chinese patients are 50 mm and 55 mm.

Conclusions: OLIF can be a good choice for lumbar intervertebral fusion, including L5-S1 segment, in most Chinese patients. Older women are likely to have more scope of OLIF surgery. As a routine preoperative examination, lumbar magnetic resonance imaging is of great importance to OLIF surgery preoperative assessment.