Objective Full endoscopic cervical surgery (FECS) is an evolving minimally invasive approach for treating cervical spine disorders. This systematic review synthesizes current evidence on the clinical outcomes and patient perspectives associated with FECS, specifically evaluating its safety, efficacy, and overall patient satisfaction.
Methods A systematic search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies published between January 2000 and September 2024 that reported on clinical outcomes or patient perspectives related to FECS were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I (Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions) tool and the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Inclusion criteria encompassed randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, retrospective studies, and observational studies focused on adult populations undergoing FECS for cervical spine surgery.
Results The final synthesis included 30 studies. FECS was associated with significant reductions in both cervical and radicular pain, as well as meaningful functional improvements, measured by standardized clinical scales such as the Neck Disability Index and visual analogue scale. Patient satisfaction rates were consistently high, with most studies reporting satisfaction exceeding 85%. Complication rates were low, primarily involving transient neurological deficits that were typically resolved without the need for further intervention. Nonrandomized studies generally presented a moderate risk of bias due to confounding and selection, whereas randomized controlled trials exhibited a low risk of bias.
Conclusion FECS is a safe and effective minimally invasive surgical option for cervical spine disorders associated with substantial pain relief, functional improvement and high levels of patient satisfaction.
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Objective To determine the clinical impact of the baseline sagittal imbalance severity in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD).
Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent ≥ 5-level fusion including the pelvis, for ASD with a ≥ 2-year follow-up. Using the Scoliosis Research Society-Schwab classification system, patients were classified into 3 groups according to the severity of the preoperative sagittal imbalance: mild, moderate, and severe. Postoperative clinical and radiographic results were compared among the 3 groups.
Results A total of 259 patients were finally included. There were 42, 62, and 155 patients in the mild, moderate, and severe groups, respectively. The perioperative surgical burden was greatest in the severe group. Postoperatively, this group also showed the largest pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis mismatch, suggesting a tendency towards undercorrection. No statistically significant differences were observed in proximal junctional kyphosis, proximal junctional failure, or rod fractures among the groups. Visual analogue scale for back pain and Scoliosis Research Society-22 scores were similar across groups. However, severe group’s last follow-up Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores significantly lower than those of the severe group.
Conclusion Patients with severe sagittal imbalance were treated with more invasive surgical methods along with increased the perioperative surgical burden. All patients exhibited significant radiological and clinical improvements after surgery. However, regarding ODI, the severe group demonstrated slightly worse clinical outcomes than the other groups, probably due to relatively higher proportion of undercorrection. Therefore, more rigorous correction is necessary to achieve optimal sagittal alignment specifically in patients with severe baseline sagittal imbalance.
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Does Preoperative Spinal Alignment Influence Surgical Outcomes When Postoperative Alignment and Fixation Strategies Are Matched in ASD Correction? Donghua Huang, Zhan Wang, Michael Jian-Wen Chen, Annika Bay, Robert N. Uzzo, Gabrielle Dykhouse, Atahan Durbas, Andrea Pezzi, Stephane Owusu-Sarpong, Luis Felipe Colon, Kasra Araghi, Quante Singleton, Farah Musharbash, Sereen Halayqeh, Matthew E. Cunningh Spine.2026; 51(11): 761. CrossRef
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Objective Cervical myelopathy (CM) describes the compressive cervical spinal cord state, often accompanied by serious clinical condition, by herniated disc or hypertrophied spurs or ligament. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been frequently employed as conventional surgical solution for this CM despite its inherent biomechanical handicap. Alternatively, an artificial disc replacement (ADR) preserves cervical motion while still decompressing the spinal canal and neural foramen. This analysis elaborated to clarify the potential benefits of ADR application to CM over ACDF from the conglomerated results of the past references.
Methods A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane review, and KMbase databases from the studies published until March 2023. Six studies (3 randomized controlled study [RCTs] and 3 non-RCTs) were included in a qualitative and quantitative synthesis. Data were extracted and analyzed using a random effects model to obtain effect size and its statistical significance. Quality assessment and evidence level were established in accordance with the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology.
Results Among 6 studies, 2 studies showed that ADR group achieved significantly better clinical improvement than the ACDF group, while the rest 4 studies revealed no significant difference. A meta-analysis showed better clinical outcomes with or without statistical significance. The level of evidence was low because of inconsistency and imprecision.
Conclusion ADR was superior or at least, not inferior to ACDF in terms of functional recovery. However, its application to the CM patients is merely empowered with weak strength due to low level of evidence.
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Objective Posterior apophyseal ring fracture (PARF) is an uncommon disorder that is usually accompanied by lumbar disc herniation (LDH). The aim of this study to describe the 8-year experience of performing minimally invasive treatment of PARF, giving particular attention to surgical technique and clinical outcome.
Methods We reviewed 1,324 consecutive patients with LDH seen in our department between 2013 and 2020. Forty-eight patients (3.63%) were enrolled who were diagnosed with PARF associated with LDH and underwent transforminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD). Mean duration of the final postoperative follow-up was 5.1 years. The control group was comprised of 50 patients diagnosed with LDH without PARF at the same facility. Data on clinical outcomes were analyzed.
Results The mean operation time in the PARF group was 105.4 minutes, which was longer than the mean operation time of the control group (83.9 minutes) (p = 0.001). Surgical complications, including dural tears (6.3%) and surgical instrument rupture (4.2%) were more common in the PARF group (p = 0.025). However, there was no significant difference in the proportion of excellent and good results and recurrence rates between the LDH patients with and those without PARF, respectively.
Conclusion TELD is a safe and effective minimally invasive approach for the treatment of PARF. However, minimally invasive techniques may require longer operation time and steeper learning curve for inexperienced surgeons. The separation and removal of bone fragments, a key step in the procedure, requires patience and care to prevent rupture, residual surgical instruments, and leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.
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Objective Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common surgical method used to treat patients with Hirayama disease. And sagittal balance indexes have been revealed to be predictors of clinical outcomes in patients with cervical diseases, but their relationships with ACDF-treated Hirayama disease outcomes remain unknown. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship of preoperative cervical sagittal balance indexes and clinical outcomes in ACDF-treated Hirayama disease patients.
Methods Eighty patients with Hirayama disease treated by ACDF were reviewed retrospectively. Six cervical sagittal balance parameters were collected including Cobb angle, T1 slope, C1–7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), C2–7 SVA, center of gravity of the head (CGH)-C7 SVA, range of motion. The recovery outcomes of the patients were divided into 2 groups by Odom score and the differences in recovery between the 2 groups were confirmed by electromyography. The correlation between imaging parameters and postoperative outcome was evaluated with logistic regression. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the ROC curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the significant result of logistic regression and the optimal diagnostic value.
Results Only 2 parameters, Cobb angle and CGH-C7 SVA, showed statistical correlation with the postoperative outcome assessment by logistic regression. AUC of Cobb angle and CGH-C7 SVA were 0.559 and 0.702 respectively. The optimal predictive threshold was 1.50° and 5.40 mm, respectively.
Conclusion A larger Cobb angle and smaller CGH-C7 SVA seemed to correlate with a better postoperative outcome. These 2 factors could be used to predict the outcome of surgical treatment of Hirayama disease preoperatively.
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Objective Midline lumbar interbody fusion is performed for treatment of various lumbar degenerative diseases, with good clinical outcomes and few complications. However, there are no large-scale or long-term studies regarding midline lumbar interbody fusion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of midline lumbar interbody fusion and to compare the results according to surgical level.
Methods Between January 2013 and December 2015, 200 patients with lumbar degenerative disease undergoing midline lumbar interbody fusion surgery were enrolled. The mean patient age was 69.9 ± 15.8 years (range, 40–85 years). The patients were divided into groups according to surgical level: (1) level 1 operation (136 patients), (2) level 2 operation (43 patients), (3) level 3 operation (12 patients), and (4) level 4 or higher (9 patients). Clinical outcomes, fusion rates, and complications were compared among the 4 groups.
Results All clinical outcomes significantly improved after surgery (measured at 3 years postoperatively) in all groups. Mean fusion rate was 90.5% ± 5.21%. Fusion rate was highest in group I (95.8%) and lowest in group IV (85.2%). There were complications in 17 cases (8.5%). Adjacent segment disease occurred in 16 cases, 5 of which required surgery. Group 1 had 1 case, and group 4 had 4 cases. Screw loosening occurred in 1 case in group 4. There were no cases of infection or mechanical complications.
Conclusion This large, single‐institution, retrospective study demonstrates favorable clinical outcomes after midline lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative disease regardless of surgical level.
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Neurospine 2019;16(3):618-625. Published online February 23, 2019
Objective Current literature has not shown if using either allograft or autograft differentially affects postoperative cervical sagittal parameters. The goal of this study was to compare sagittal alignment and patient-reported outcomes following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with allograft versus autograft.
Methods A retrospective cohort analysis of patients who underwent single-level ACDF was conducted. Preoperative, immediate postoperative, and final follow-up radiographic assessments were conducted and included: change in C2–7 lordosis, T1 slope, levels fused, sagittal vertical axis (SVA), fusion mass lordosis, and proximal and distal adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). Patient-reported outcomes were obtained using the Neck Disability Index and visual analogue scale scores for neck and arm.
Results A total of 404 patients were assessed; 353 using allograft and 51 using autograft. No significant differences existed in demographics. Cervical lordosis improved in both groups without significant changes in SVA. Autograft group had a significantly greater amount of lordosis at the proximal segment on immediate postoperative radiographs and less overall cervical lordosis at final follow-up. Sagittal parameters were similar at each time point without significant changes between the 3-time points. No significant differences existed in radiographic ASD or reoperation rates. Fusion rates exceeded 96% in both groups. No significant differences existed between preoperative, postoperative, or change in patient-reported outcomes between the 2 groups.
Conclusion Sagittal alignment is maintained following ACDF when using either allograft or autograft. Radiographic evidence of ASD is present in both groups; however, this was not considered clinically significant, given low rates of pseudarthrosis or reoperation. No significant differences exist between groups in terms of patient-reported outcomes.
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Since 1966 the first metal ball shape implant was inserted into the cervical and lumbar areas by Dr. Fernstrom, numerous attempts and prostheses have been tried to maintain physiologic range of motion and prevent adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after surgery. However fusion itself is not a single causative factor of ASD and other biologic factors including natural progression of degenerative process and mechanical factors also contribute in the development of ASD. Several well designed prospective randomized control studies for Bryan disc and Prodisc C have been recently documented preservation of spinal motion, superior or, at least, equivalent clinical outcome in comparing with anterior cervical arthrodesis, and less adverse postoperative events both in frequency and severity.
Still remained or undetermined problems in cervical arthroplasty are heterotopic ossifications, segmental kyphosis of implanted levels, MR imaging compatibility, vertebral body fracture by keeled prostheses and long term wear properties. In spite of these unsolved problems and incompleteness of prosthetic design, cervical arthroplasty is now considered as one of standard methods in surgical management of one or two level cervical disc diseases and its indication may be broader in near future.