Full-Endoscopic Removal of Lumbar Juxtafacet Cysts: A Prospective Multicentric Study

Lumbar juxtafacet cysts are benign lesions that grow at the level of facet joints or within neighboring structures. Recently, there is an ongoing trend toward less invasive procedures for treating degenerative spine diseases. Here we report a multicenter study of full-endoscopic surgery for juxtafacet cyst removal.

We prospectively collected patients with a diagnosis of lumbar juxtafacet cyst surgically treated in 3 institutions between January 2017 and August 2019. Patients of any sex and age were eligible if they had a single level unilateral lumbar juxtafacet cyst, invalidating radicular pain lasting >6 weeks, adequate imaging, and failed percutaneous or conservative treatment. Age at diagnosis; sex; preoperative, postoperative, and 6-month leg pain; surgical and medical complications; spine instability (preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months); and follow-up time were collected.

Thirty-five patients were enrolled. Median operative time was 78 minutes, and mean leg pain went from a preoperative value of 6.8 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.2) to a postoperative value of 3.4 (SD = 1.1, P < 0.001) to 2.1 (SD = 1.7, P < 0.001) at 6 months. At a median follow-up of 15 months, approximately 89% of patients were pain-free or improved. We had 2 recurrences of radicular pain, treated conservatively. Only 2 surgical complications (6%) occurred: 2 small dural tears, both resolved without further intervention.

Full-endoscopic surgery is feasible and safe for juxtafacet cyst removal. Our results are consistent with findings from recent full-endoscopic and series, with outcomes overlapping those reported for open or tubular techniques.