Transcorporeal tunnel approach for unilateral cervical radiculopathy: a 2-year follow-up review and results.
BACKGROUND
The long-term complications of traditional discectomy and fusion surgery have led to the need for minimally invasive procedures that do not require a complete discectomy and fusion. Jho developed an anterior unco-foraminotomy that we have modified, with the approach being more medial than that of Jho, into an anterior transcorporeal tunnel approach which we use for cervical spondylotic unilateral radiculopathy.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was carried out in 30 patients who underwent a transcorporeal "tunnel" anterior micro-foraminotomy for unilateral radicular symptoms with a follow-up more than 2 years. All were operated by a single surgeon using the same technique from the vertebral body proximal to the lesion and proceeding downwards to the herniation. At final follow-up we reviewed the clinical and radiological results.


RESULTS
All patients in the immediate post-operative period showed relief of their symptoms, and there were major complications. 3 patients complained about the numbness in the immediate postoperative period which resolved within 3 months. There was a significant improvement in NDI from pre-operative 55.16% to postoperative 5.82% ( P <0.001). Average pre-operative VAS scores for arm and neck were 8.15 and 4.05, respectively; which improved to 1.05 and 1.23 ( P <0.001) postoperatively. There was an average 9% decrease (from 7.8 mm to 7.3 mm) in the post-operative disc height compared to the preoperative disc height; however, it was clinically and radiologically insignificant. The long-term results were favourable and there were no major complications.


CONCLUSIONS
The transcorporeal tunnel approach can be used as an alternative treatment for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.
Choi
G
G
Department of Neurosurgery, Wooridul Spine Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. spine.choi@gmail.com
Arbatti
N J
NJ
Modi
H N
HN
Prada
N
N
Kim
J S
JS
Kim
H J
HJ
Myung
S H
SH
Lee
S H
SH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017587:Diskectomy, Percutaneous / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*