Effectiveness of endoscopic operations in vertebrology. Literature review

In this literature review, an attempt was made to describe the main possibilities and limitations of arthroscopic spine surgery. The description is organized according to topographic principle, for each region of the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar). Arthroscopic interventions in vertebrology are a set of methods that are promising and gaining popularity. At present, the main scope of their application (and indication for treatment as well) is degenerative diseases of the spine that are associated with nerve structures’ compression. Arthroscopic methods allow, according to present data, to achieve better functional results than conventional ‘open’ surgical methods, including lower pain level at the postoperative period. The main issues for development of the methods are as follows: minimizing the working parts of the endoscope to be used for interventions at the cervical spine; avoidance of anatomic restrictions for operations on the thoracic spine; expanding the possibilities and indications for the method.