Clinical Observation of 10-mm Endoscopic Minimally Invasive Interlaminar Decompression in the Treatment of Ossified Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Purpose: This study aims to observe the safety and effectiveness of 10-mm endoscopic minimally invasive interlaminar decompression in the treatment of ossified lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: The clinical data of 50 consecutive patients with ossified lumbar spinal stenosis were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent minimally invasive interlaminar decompression with 10-mm endoscope. Patient demographics, perioperative data, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Visual analog scale scores, Oswestry disability index scores, and modified Macnab criteria were used to assess clinical outcomes. The lateral recess angle, real spinal canal area, and effective intervertebral foramen area were used to assess the effect of decompression. Results: The mean age of all patients was 59.0 +/- 12.3 years. The mean operative time and intraoperative blood loss were 43.7 +/- 8.7 minutes and <20 ml, respectively. Two years after surgery, the leg pain Visual analog scale score decreased from 7.4 +/- 1.0 to 1.6 +/- 0.6 (P < 0.05) and the Oswestry disability index score decreased from 63.8 +/- 7.6 to 21.7 +/- 3.4 (P < 0.05). The lateral recess angle, real spinal canal area and effective intervertebral foramen area were significantly larger than before surgery (P < 0.05). The overall excellent and good rate at the last follow-up was 92.0% according to the modified Macnab criteria. Conclusions: The 10-mm endoscopic minimally invasive interlaminar decompression can safely and effectively remove the ossification in the spinal canal and achieve adequate decompression in patients with ossified lumbar spinal stenosis.