• Nikhil Sahai, Stuart Changoor, Conor J Dunn, Kumar Sinha, Ki Soo Hwang, Michael Faloon, and Arash Emami.
• St. Joseph's University Medical Center, Paterson, NJ.
• Spine. 2019 Dec 15; 44 (24): 1731-1739.

Study DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes, complications, and reoperations of minimally invasive posterior cervical foraminotomy (MI-PCF) for unilateral cervical radiculopathy without myelopathy, in comparison to anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF).Summary Of Background DataACDF is a standard treatment for cervical radiculopathy secondary to lateral disc herniation or foraminal stenosis. Recent studies have suggested MI-PCF to be an effective alternative to ACDF. However, concern for reoperation and whether similar improvements in clinical outcomes can be achieved has led to a debate in the literature.MethodsWe comprehensively searched PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and SCOPUS utilizing terms related to MI-PCF. Two independent reviewers assessed potential studies and extracted data on clinical outcome scores (neck disability index [NDI], visual analog scale [VAS]-neck, and VAS-arm), reoperation proportion, and complications. Studies included were on noncentral cervical pathology, published in the last 10 years, had a sample size of >10 patients, and reported data on minimally invasive techniques for posterior cervical foraminotomy. Heterogeneity and publication bias analyses were performed. The pooled proportions of each outcome were compared to those of ACDF obtained from two previously published studies.ResultsFourteen studies were included with data of 1216 patients. The study population was 61.8% male, with a mean age of 51.57 years, and a mean follow-up of 30 months. MI-PCF resulted in a significantly greater improvement in VAS-arm scores compared to ACDF, and similar improvements in VAS-neck and NDI scores. Proportions of complications and reoperations were similar between the two cohorts. The most common complications were transient neuropraxia, wound-related, and durotomy.ConclusionOur findings suggest that MI-PCF may be utilized as a safe and effective alternative to ACDF in patients with unilateral cervical radiculopathy without myelopathy, without concern for increased reoperations or complications.Level Of Evidence3.

25 keywords...

hide…