The posterior cervical foraminotomy and diskectomy (PCD) is a traditional surgical technique for patients with laterally located soft-disk herniation. Recently, tubular retractor-assisted posterior foraminotomy and diskectomy (MTPF) and posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical foraminotomy and diskectomy (P-PECD) have been introduced, but a comparative study has not yet been performed. Patients with foraminal soft-disk herniation and a follow-up period of >2 years were retrospectively reviewed; 22 patients underwent a MTPF and 22 patients underwent a P-PECD. The primary end-point was an improvement of arm pain more than 4.3. The clinical parameters (age, sex, disability index, neck and arm pain), radiological parameters (cervical curvature, segmental angle, anterior-/posterior-disk height and amount of facet joint removal) preoperatively and at postoperative month 24 and the surgical methods were considered as co-variates. Successful outcome was achieved in 19/22 (87 %) of the patients after both MTPF and a P-PECD. Preoperative SA showed trend (P = 0.08; OR 1.2; 95 % CI 0.98–1.4) and the cut-off SA was 1.45° (sensitivity 80 %, specificity 73 %). The length of the facet joint’s removal was 0.02–2.49 mm (0.1–15.2 %) with no difference between the MTPF and P-PECD. The surgical method was not a significant factor. For patients with foraminal soft-disk herniation, either MTPF or P-PECD, may be regarded as an alternative options to open surgery. Preoperative kyphotic SA (cut-off value 1.45°) seemed to be associated with poor outcome and this may be considered in selecting surgical methods.

Minimally invasive cervical foraminotomy and diskectomy for laterally located soft disk herniation

Study Design  Case series. Objective  Posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical diskectomy (PECD) can preserve the disk in patients with a foraminal disk herniation. However, progressive angulation at the operated segment is a concern, especially for patients with cervical lordosis  Methods  Medical records were reviewed of 32 consecutive patients (22 men, 10 women; mean age, 49 ± 12 years) who had single-level foraminal soft disk herniation. The operation levels were as follows: C4–5 in 1 patient, C5–6 in 12, C6–7 in 18, and C7–T1 in 1. All patients were discharged the day after the operation, and neck motion was encouraged. All patients were followed for 30 ± 7 months (range, 24 to 46 months), and 21/32 patients (66%) had radiographs taken at 25 ± 11 months (range, 12 to 45 months). Radiologic parameters were assessed, including cervical curvature (C2–7), segmental Cobb's angle (SA), and anterior and posterior disk height (AH and PH, respectively) at the operative level. Results  At the last follow-up, 29/32 patients (91%) had no or minimal pain, and 3/32 patients had occasional pain. SA, AH, and PH were not significantly changed. Cervical lordosis  p  = 0.01). For patients with cervical lordosis ≥ 10 degrees, cervical curvature changed from −17.5 ± 5.8 to −19.9 ± 5.7 degrees ( p  = 0.24). Conclusions  Cervical curvature does not worsen after posterior PECD.

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Changes in cervical sagittal alignment after single-level posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical diskectomy.

A meta-analysis of cervical foraminotomy: open versus minimally-invasive techniques.

Spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) is a rare cause of nerve root or cord compression; its pathogenesis is not always clearly recognizable. The aim of this paper was to investigate possible etiopathological factors in a consecutive series of patients affected by traumatic SEH treated at our institution. Seven patients with neurologic impairment due to traumatic SEH were retrospectively analyzed after diagnosis and surgical treatment. Thoracic localization was found in 5 cases, and lumbar and cervical localization were found in 1 patient each. One patient was affected by ankylosing spondylitis and one by diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. SEH was associated with spine fractures in 6 cases. Only 2 cases of traumatic SEH resulted from high-energy trauma. All patients underwent surgical decompression within 24 hours after admittance to the hospital. Three patients recovered completely, 3 remained paraplegic, and 1 remained monoplegic. Several concomitant conditions are suggested to be predisposing factors for the development of SEH, although its inherent mechanism is still unknown. Two patients in the present series were affected by rheumatologic disorders, confirming the elevated incidence of hematomas in such patients compared to the normal population. Three very unusual cases of SEH occurred in senile patients affected by osteoporotic fractures. Early diagnosis and urgent decompression of the hematoma remain mandatory.

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Etiopathogenesis of Traumatic Spinal Epidural Hematoma.

A POSTERIOR FORAMINOTOMY (hemilaminotomy and medial facetectomy) is indicated for the treatment of nerve root compression secondary to posterolateral disc herniation or spondylotic foraminal stenosis. We describe the normal and pathological anatomy of the cervical neural foramen as well as our surgical technique, which has been highly effective in cases of cervical discogenic radiculopathy.

Posterior surgical approach to the cervical neural foramen for intervertebral disc disease

Study Design:A retrospective review.Objective:To compare the effectiveness of the posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF) with and without discectomy for the treatment of cervical disk herniation.Summary of Background Data:Although PCF is effective and does not require a fusion procedure, it has certa

Effective cervical decompression by the posterior cervical foraminotomy without discectomy.

A 79-year-old woman developed neurological deficits 6 weeks after the onset of a thoracic osteoporotic compression fracture. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the thoracic spine revealed an epidural hematoma at the T10-L2 levels. Acute decompressive laminectomy and percutaneous vertebroplasty were performed. Following the surgery, the patient's neurologic deficits improved and follow-up MR imaging showed complete resolution of the hematoma. Spinal epidural hematomas are rare and associated delayed neurological deficits are extremely rare. Conservative treatment may be effective for epidural hematomas in neurologically intact patients, but epidural hematomas can be a cause of neural compression and symptomatic deterioration resulting in delayed neurological deficits during the follow-up period.

Delayed neurological deficits induced by an epidural hematoma associated with a thoracic osteoporotic compression fracture.

Objective We evaluated the efficacy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in detecting perioperative cerebral thromboembolic events after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Methods This retrospective case series included 51 consecutive patients that underwent ACDF. To assess baseline presence of plaque or stenosis, all patients were assessed for risk factors of cerebrovascular events and underwent carotid ultrasound preoperatively and cerebral DW-MRI was performed in all patients postoperatively, with areas of high signal intensity interpreted as a cerebral thromboembolic event. Results One male patient who underwent a C4/5 ACDF had a focal diffusion abnormality on DW-MRI concerning for cerebral thromboembolic events in the right posterior cerebral artery territory. He remained asymptomatic and did not display related neurological symptoms, such as visual deficits. Conclusion Asymptomatic cerebral thromboembolic events can be detected by DW-MRI after ACDF. The incidence of such events remains very rare despite the direct manipulation and associated alteration of common carotid artery flow dynamics.

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Cerebral Thromboembolic Events During Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery: Retrospective Case Series Study With Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Follow-up in the Immediate Postoperative Period

Symptomatic thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum is rare, and a modality for its treatment has not yet been
 fully established; most reported patients complained of myelopathy. Herein, the authors will report on an extremely rare
 presentation of thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum, along with clinical outcomes. The patient complained of
 chest discomfort and myelopathy symptoms for 1 year secondary to thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum. He
 underwent one surgical procedure. Postoperatively, his symptoms such as chest discomfort and myelopathy improved
 completely. As of this report, the patient has had a good postoperative recovery, had good overall health, and adapted
well to his social activities.

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Yong-Hwan Shin

Papers

Effective cervical decompression by the posterior cervical foraminotomy without discectomy.

Delayed neurological deficits induced by an epidural hematoma associated with a thoracic osteoporotic compression fracture.

Cerebral Thromboembolic Events During Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery: Retrospective Case Series Study With Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Follow-up in the Immediate Postoperative Period

Chest Discomfort Secondary to Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum of the Thoracic Spine: A Case Report