Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery in Vertebral Bone Disorders: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives

Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) has progressively transformed the management of spinal disorders by reducing soft-tissue disruption, perioperative morbidity, and recovery time while maintaining clinical outcomes comparable to conventional open techniques. Beyond its technical evolution, MISS has increasingly assumed a central role in the treatment of bone-related spinal conditions, including vertebral fractures, degenerative instability, metastatic disease, and osteoporosis-associated pathology. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of MISS with a specific focus on its interaction with vertebral bone biology, implant stability, and fusion processes. A structured literature search of the PubMed/MEDLINE database was conducted, including English-language studies published between 1980 and June 2025 addressing MISS techniques, enabling technologies, and bone-related clinical outcomes. Current evidence suggests that MISS may preserve paraspinal vascularization and soft tissue integrity, potentially supporting bone healing and fusion, although high-quality comparative data remain limited. The effectiveness of MISS in osteoporotic and metastatic vertebral disease is closely linked to bone quality, implant anchorage, and biomechanical considerations, particularly in the context of pedicle screw fixation and interbody support. Emerging technologies—including navigation, robotics, and artificial intelligence—may enhance accuracy in implant placement and reduce bone-related complications, but robust evidence of long-term benefit is still lacking. Despite its advantages, MISS presents important limitations, including a steep learning curve, increased costs, and uncertain superiority in terms of fusion rates and long-term biomechanical stability. Future research should prioritize high-quality comparative studies focusing on bone healing, implant integration, and patient-specific factors such as bone density. MISS should therefore be interpreted not only as a surgical paradigm shift but as an evolving strategy for optimizing outcomes in bone-related spinal disorders.