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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
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Transforaminal Full-Endoscopic Lumbar Foraminotomy Under Local Anesthesia for L5/S1 Adjacent Segment Foraminal Stenosis
Published on: October 17, 2025
Transforaminal endoscopic surgery for lumbar stenosis: a systematic review
Jorm Nellensteijn1, Raymond Ostelo, Ronald Bartels
1Department of Orthopaedics, The EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1085, Room U-435, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Summary
Transforaminal endoscopic surgery for lumbar stenosis shows satisfactory outcomes in observational studies, but lacks high-quality evidence. More randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Background:
- Transforaminal endoscopic surgery is increasingly used for lumbar stenosis.
- A systematic review of its effectiveness is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effectiveness of transforaminal endoscopic surgery for symptomatic lumbar stenosis.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review up to November 2009.
- Inclusion criteria applied to retrieved titles, abstracts, and full texts.
- Quality assessment and data extraction by two independent reviewers.
Main Results:
- Seven observational studies were included; no randomized controlled trials.
- Studies exhibited poor methodological quality and heterogeneity.
- Satisfactory outcomes reported in 69-83%; complication rates 0-8.3%; re-operation rates 0-20%.
Conclusions:
- Currently, no valid evidence from randomized controlled trials supports transforaminal endoscopic surgery for lumbar stenosis.
- High-quality randomized controlled trials comparing this technique with others are essential.
