Unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery: a meta-analysis unveiling the learning curve and clinical benefits

To provide insights into the learning curve of unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) spine surgery by synthesizing available evidence on critical points and associated clinical outcomes.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases, yielding a pool of relevant studies. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies reporting on UBE learning curves and quantitative data related to clinical outcomes (operative time, hospital stay, and complications).

A total of five studies were included in the analysis, providing six datasets to elucidate the UBE learning curve. Three of the five studies analyzed learning curves using the Cumulative Sum method and identified cutoff points. One study plotted learning curves and determined cutoff points based on surgical time analysis, while the remaining one study (providing two datasets) plotted learning curves using the phased analysis method. The mean value of the cutoff point in terms of the number of cases required to reach proficiency in time to surgery was calculated at 37.5 cases, with a range spanning from 14 to 58 cases. Notably, there was a statistically significant difference in time to surgery between the late group and the early group, with the late group demonstrating a significantly reduced time to surgery (P < 0.0001). Additionally, the determined cutoff points exhibited significant variations when applied to patient outcome parameters, including postoperative hospitalization, postoperative drainage, and surgical complications (P < 0.05).

While the analysis indicates that UBE surgery's learning curve is associated with surgical time, the limited focus on this metric and potential discrepancies in cutoff point determination highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding.