En bloc resection of the ligamentum flavum for bilateral decompression in unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a 2-year follow-up study

Unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (UBE-TLIF) is a minimally invasive procedure for treating lumbar degenerative diseases. However, the use of endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion does not completely eliminate the risk of dural and nerve root injuries. This study has refined UBE-TLIF to incorporate en bloc resection of the ligamentum flavum for bilateral decompression and aim to detail the surgical procedure and evaluate the clinical outcomes of this modification.

This study analyzes the outcomes of 109 consecutive patients treated by a single surgeon for lumbar degenerative disease using UBE-TLIF. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (51 patients) underwent en bloc resection of the ligamentum flavum, while Group B (58 patients) underwent routine piecemeal resection. Assessed outcomes included surgery-related complications, operation time, estimated blood loss, postoperative stay, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The surgical technique is detailed within the study.

In Group A, no nerve root or dura injuries were observed, whereas Group B reported one case of nerve root injury and three dura tears. The average operation time for Group A was shorter than that for Group B; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). No significant differences were found in the VAS score, ODI, estimated blood loss, or postoperative stay between the groups during follow-up.

En bloc resection of the ligamentum flavum for bilateral decompression in UBE-TLIF demonstrates satisfactory clinical outcomes and low perioperative complications rates, offering a safe and innovative alternative for the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease.