Endoscopic Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy in Bony Stenosis – A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Posterior cervical foraminotomy is a feasible treatment option for cervical radiculopathy. In this article, we want to give a short review on the advantages, indications and limitations of this treatment procedure. Methods: A Medline search for endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy was done and 13 articles were compared regarding the surgical technique, patient outcome, complications, intraoperative blood loss, surgical time, hospital stay and postoperative need for pain medication. Results: Compared to patients treated by an open approach, patients treated by endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy show equal clinical results, but lower complication rates and less intraoperative blood loss, reduced surgical time, hospital stay and postoperative need for pain medication. Conclusion: This review shows that posterior endoscopic decompression is a successful option in the treatment of bony cervical foraminal stenosis.