• Rui Li, Gang An, Ying Guan, Zhibin Peng, and Yansong Wang.
• First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Hei Longjiang, China.
• Pain Physician. 2021 Sep 1; 24 (6): E867-E875.

BackgroundAdult degenerative (de novo) scoliosis (ADS) usually occurs due to degenerative changes and is accompanied by progressive low-back pain and/or symptomatic lumbar stenosis. Interlaminar decompression is considered an effective treatment of lumbar stenosis, but some surgical contraindications to traditional open surgery limit its application in elderly patients with many disorders. A 10-mm endoscope has been used in the treatment of stenosis in individuals with ADS and its safety and efficacy should be assessed.ObjectiveThe objective was to conduct a retrospective analysis to compare interlaminar decompression with a 10-mm endoscope versus a microscope.Study DesignRetrospective study.SettingThis study took place at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.MethodsThe data of 34 ADS patients treated in our hospital from January 2018 to December 2019, who underwent decompression with a 10-mm endoscope (ES group, 19 patients) or microscope (MS group, 15 patients) were retrospectively reviewed. The two methods were compared using the visual analog scale (VAS), Japanese orthopedic association (JOA) scale, and Oswestry disability index (ODI). Lumbar stability was also evaluated by the progression of scoliosis.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the 2 groups in demographic or clinical characteristics. The mean preoperative Cobb angle of all patients was 23.34° ± 6.44°, which indicated degenerative scoliosis. The mean JOA and ODI scores were 8.09 ± 1.44 and 55.47 ± 11.91. The mean preoperative pelvic incidence (PI) and lumbar lordosis (LL) angles were 51.02° ± 7.21 and 38.26° ± 6.98 and the mean PI-LL mismatch was 12.76° ± 5.63. There was no significant difference in the VAS scores for back/leg pain between the groups at 1 week after the operation, but the scores of the ES group were significantly higher than those of the MS group at 3 months and 12 months. There were no significant differences of mean JOA and ODI between the ES and MS groups preoperatively, at 3 months, or at 12 months, but the JOA and ODI scores of the ES group were significantly higher than those of the MS group 1 week after the operation.LimitationsThe study showed that a novel method for the minimally invasive treatment of ADS is feasible; the safety and outcomes of this method should be verified with more cases.ConclusionsMinimally invasive decompression with a 10-mm endoscope was suggested to be a safe and effective method, as expected, for the treatment of lumbar stenosis in ADS patients.

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