No abstract

Background: Severe collapsed disc secondary to degenerative spinal conditions leads to significant foraminal stenosis. We hypothesized that uniportal posterolateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with endoscopic disc drilling technique could be safely applied to the collapsed disc space to improve patients’ pain score, restore disc height, and correct the segmental angular parameters. Methods: We included patients who met the indication criteria for lumbar fusion and underwent uniportal full endoscopic posterolateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with pre-operative Computer Tomography mid disc height of less than or equal to 5 mm and MRI of Grade 3 Foraminal Stenosis. Visual analogue scale and computer tomography pre-operative and post-operative sagittal disc height in the anterior, middle and posterior part of the disc; sagittal focal segmental angle; mid coronal disc height and coronal wedge angles were evaluated. Results: 30 levels of Endo-TLIF were included, with a mean follow up of 12 months. The mean improvement in decreasing pain score was 2.5 ± 1.1, 3.2 ± 0.9 and 4.3 ± 1.0 at 1 week post operation, 3 months post operation and at final follow up, respectively, p < 0.05. There was significant increase in mid sagittal computer tomographic anterior, middle and posterior disc height of 6.99 ± 2.30, 6.28 ± 1.44, 5.12 ± 1.79 mm respectively, p < 0.05. CT mid coronal disc height showed an increase of 7.13 ± 1.90 mm, p < 0.05. There was a significant improvement in the CT coronal wedge angle of 2.35 ± 4.73 and the CT segmental focal sagittal angle of 1.98 ± 4.69, p < 0.05. Conclusion: Application of Uniportal Endoscopic Posterolateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion in patients with severe foraminal stenosis secondary to severe collapsed disc space significantly relieved patients’ pain and restored disc height without early subsidence or exiting nerve root dysesthesia in our cohort of patients.

Purpose Cervical radiculopathy is a common disabling cervical spine condition. Open anterior and posterior approaches are the conventional surgical treatment approaches with good clinical outcomes. However, the soft tissue damage in these procedures can lead to increase perioperative morbidity. Endoscopic spine surgery provides more soft tissue preservation than conventional approaches. We investigate the radiological and clinical outcomes of posterior endoscopic cervical foraminotomy and discectomy. Methods A prospective clinical and radiological study with retrospective evaluation were done for 25 patients with 29 levels of cervical radiculopathy who underwent posterior endoscopic cervical discectomy from November 2016 to December 2018. Clinical outcomes of Visual Analogue Scale, Neck Disability Index and MacNab’s score were evaluated at pre-operative, post-operative 1 week, 3 months and final follow-up. Preoperative and post-operative final follow-up flexion and extension roentgenogram were evaluated for cervical stability assessment. Pre-operative and post-operative computer tomography cervical spine evaluation of foraminal length in ventro-dorsal, cephalad-caudal dimensions, sagittal foraminal area and using 3D CT reconstruction coronal decompression area were done. Results Twenty-nine levels of cervical radiculopathy underwent posterior endoscopic cervical decompression. The mean follow-up was 29.6 months, and the most common levels affected were C5/6 and C6/7. There was a complication rate of 12% with 2 cases of neurapraxia and one case of recurrent of prolapsed disc. There was no revision surgery in our series. There was significant clinical improvement in Visual Analogue Scale and Neck Disability Index. Prospective comparative study between preoperative and final follow-up mean improvement in VAS score was 5.08 ± 1.75, and NDI was 45.1 ± 13.3. Ninety-two percent of the patients achieved good and excellent results as per MacNab’s criteria. Retrospective evaluation of the radiological data showed significant increments of foraminal dimensions: (1) sagittal area increased 21.4 ± 11.2 mm2, (2) CT Cranio Caudal length increased 1.21 ± 1.30 mm and (3) CT ventro-dorsal length increased 2.09 ± 1.35 mm and (4) 3D CT scan reconstruction coronal decompression area increased 536 ± 176 mm2, p < 0.05. Conclusion Uniportal posterior endoscopic cervical foraminotomy and discectomy are safe, efficient and precise choreographed set of technique in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. It significantly improved clinical outcomes and achieved the objective of increasing in the cervical foramen size in our cohort of patients.

No abstract

No abstract