Figure 2.

Patient positioning using (a) tapes or (b) lateral boards. The patient should be fixed using lateral boards or tape. It may be helpful to flex the lower hip for added stability. (c-d) Skin marking. (c) Under fluoroscopic guidance, check and mark the target L5-S1 disc space and the midportion of the disc space, and draw two identical lines: a vertical line projected perpendicular to the floor, and another one extended onto the abdomen in the direction of the disc. (d, e) The incision is made 1-2 finger breadths from the ASIS along the pelvis. The incision can be made in about 3-7 cm in length. The position of the incision depends on the disc level and number of levels.