Open Lumbar Microdiscectomy and Posterolateral Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy for Antero- and Retrospondylolisthesis

Posterolateral endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PLELD) or percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy has been reported to be effective as treatment for herniated lumbar disc in degenerative spondylolisthesis. Few studies have investigated the outcomes of open lumbar microdiscectomy (OLM) and PLELD for antero- and retrospondylolisthesis with mild slippage and instability.

We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of OLM and PLELD for antero- and retrospondylolisthesis with mild slippage and instability.

This study used a retrospective design.

Research was conducted in a hospital and outpatient surgical center.

This study enrolled 84 patients aged 20 to 60 years with low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis who underwent OLM or PLELD for antero- or retrospondylolisthesis at our hospital between March 2007 and August 2014 and who were followed up for at least 3 years. Telephone survey and chart review, with a particular focus on pre- and postoperative radiographic parameters, were conducted. Additionally, patients were invited to undergo reexamination to update their clinical and radiological data.

Telephone surveys and clinical/imaging evaluation were conducted on the OLM and PLELD groups at a mean of 71.44 and 74.69 months, respectively. Out of 43 patients who underwent OLM, 34 responded to the telephone survey, 17 of whom then underwent reexamination. Among 41 patients who underwent PLELD, 32 responded to the telephone survey, 19 of whom then underwent reexamination. Based on telephone surveys and patient charts, reoperation at the same vertebral level was confirmed in 8 patients (23.5%) who underwent OLM and one patient (4.4%) who underwent PLELD, with a significantly higher rate of reoperation in the OLM group (P = .028). Vertebral disc height decreased more after OLM than after PLELD. Compared to PLELD, OLM was associated with significantly worse rates of iatrogenic endplate damage, endplate defect scores, and alterations in subchondral bone signal intensity. However, the final clinical outcomes did not differ between OLM and PLELD.

The limitations of this study include its relatively small sample size and the possibility of bias owing to nonrandomized patient selection.

In patients with spondylolisthesis who have a herniated lumbar disc as mild slippage with instability, PLELD may be a good treatment option to reduce recurrence rates and mitigate disc degeneration. IRB approval number: 2016-12-WSH-011.

Anterospondylolisthesis, disc degeneration, endplate, herniated lumbar disc, open lumbar discectomy, percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, posterolateral endoscopic lumbar discectomy, retrospondylolisthesis, slippage.