[Technical notes and clinical efficacy analysis of full-endoscopic thoracic discectomy via transforaminal approach]

Objective: To study the technical notes and clinical efficacy of full-endoscopic thoracic intervertebral discectomy via transforaminal approach. Methods: We included 16 patients with thoracic disc herniation treated by full-endoscopic thoracic discectomy via transforaminal approach between January 2017 and September 2018 in ours department of orthopedics. The average age is 53.7 years. The compressionare classified by nature: 5 cases of soft thoracic disc herniation, 7 cases of calcified or ossified thoracic disc herniation, and 4 cases of osteophyte protrusion of the posterior edge of the adjacent vertebral body of the diseased disc. All patients had symptoms of thoracic myelopathy before operation, and 7 of them had radiculopathy. Via transforaminal approach under local anesthesia, enlarged foraminoplasty and full-endoscopic thoracic discectomy were used for treatment. Observe the changes of postoperative imaging, pain symptoms and recovery of spinal cord function at 1 week, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after operation. Back pain and radicular pain were scored with VAS, neurological function was assessed with Nurick score and mJOA score, and thoracic spine function was assessed with Oswestry disability index (ODI). Results: All operations were successfully completed, and no intraoperative conversion of surgical methods occurred. Postoperative thoracic MRI and CT examinations of all patients showed that the spinal cord was fully decompressed without any residual compression. Back pain and radicular pain were all relieved obviously in all patients, and spinal cord function was obviously restored. Transient intercostal neuralgia occurred in 2 cases after operation, and no other surgical complications occurred. Conclusions: Full-endoscopic or fluoroscopic foraminoplasty and full-endoscopic thoracic discectomyvia transforaminal approach under local anesthesia is a safe and effective treatment for soft and hard thoracic disc herniation located on the ventral side of the spinal cord.