The purpose of the current study was to introduce a surgical technique for posterior cervical inclinatory foraminotomy (PCIF) using a percutaneous biportal endoscopic (BE) approach. Consecutive 7 patients underwent BE-PCIF for their cervical radiculopathy. Postoperative radiologic images (x-rays, computed tomography [CT], and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) were evaluated postoperatively for optimal neural decompression status and stability. A visual analogue scale (VAS) for the arm pain and the Neck Disability Index were used to evaluate clinical results in the preoperative and postoperative periods. Mean follow-up periods were 6.42 ± 2.99 months. The mean operative time was 101.42 ± 49.30 minutes. Postoperative MRI and CT revealed complete removal of herniated discs and ideal neural decompression of the treated segments in all patients. Disc height and stability were preserved on postoperative x-rays. Preoperative VAS and Oswestry Disability Index scores improved significantly after the surgery. BE-PCIF may be an effective surgical treatment of the cervical radiculopathic lesions, which provides successful surgical decompression as far as distal part of foramen with better operative view and more easy surgical manipulation. This approach may also minimize iatrogenic damages of the posterior cervical musculo-ligamentous structures and help to maximize the preservation of the facet joint.

Total facetectomy with/without fusion and facet-preserving microforaminotomy have been performed as conventional surgical treatments for lumbar foraminal stenosis (LFS). Recently, endoscopic spinal surgery has been introduced as a minimally invasive therapeutic modality of LFS by several authors. We report two cases of bilateral LFS at lumbosacral junction level successfully treated with a novel biportal endoscopic spine surgery (BES) technique using primary 2 portals. Two patients presented with chronic onset of back pain and neurogenic claudication symptom. They were diagnosed with bilateral LFS at L5-S1 level from magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography preoperatively. BES for bilateral foraminal decompression was performed via contralateral approach bilaterally without additional skin incision or surgical trajectory by switching surgeon's position and primary 2 portals. After the surgery, preoperative patients' back and leg pain resolved and unilateral leg weakness of the 2 patients gradually improved in a few months. Postoperative radiologic images revealed significantly enlarged bilateral foramens at L5-S1 level.

Objective : To evaluate clinical and radiological outcomes of biportal endoscopic posterior cervical inclinatory foraminotomy (BE-PCIF) to treat cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR).Methods : This retrospective study included patients with CSR who underwent BE-PCIF between April 2020 and April 2023. Patient demographic data were collected and clinical outcomes were assessed using the Visual analog scale (VAS) and MacNab criteria. Various radiological parameters, including inclinatory angles, were collected and correlations with demographic or radiological factors were evaluated.Results : We included 101 patients (46 men and 55 women) with a mean age of 56.99 years, encompassing 162 surgical levels primarily affecting the C5-6 and C6-7 vertebrae. The postoperative VAS scores decreased to less than 1, with 90.1% of patients reporting excellence according to the MacNab criteria. None of the patients experienced any major postoperative complications, including instability. The isthmic distance (ID) expansion ratio, representing the degree of distal decompression, was 2.4, with a minor facet resection rate of 0.4. Right-sided surgeries or surgeries at lower cervical levels correlated with higher inclinatory angles, with a p-value of 0.003 each. Significant correlations were noted between the inclinatory angle and both the facet resection rate and ID expansion ratio, with coefficients of 0.45 and 0.3, respectively, both having a p-value of <0.001, indicating strong statistical significance.Conclusion : BE-PCIF effectively relieves pain and enhances clinical outcomes in CSR patients. The use of the inclinatory angle approach facilitates cervical foraminal expansion and sufficient neural decompression, with higher angles required for adequate decompression at lower cervical levels.

The cause of propriospinal myoclonus (PSM) is idiopathic. Cervical trauma, ischemic myelopathy secondary to a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula, syringomyelia, Lyme neuroborreliosis, human immunodeficiency virus central nervous system infection, and cervical disc herniation can be the cause of PSM, but lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) induced PSM has not been reported. We describe a patient who presented with PSM induced by HIVD and was treated with an epidural steroid injection using a transforaminal approach.