• T G Burke and A Caputy.
• Department of Neurosurgery, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA. timburke@gwu.edu
• J. Neurosurg. 2000 Jul 1; 93 (1 Suppl): 126-9.

ObjectCervical radiculopathy caused by either soft herniated disc material or foraminal stenosis is a common problem. Anterior and posterior surgical approaches are commonly used to decompress the nerve root. The authors undertook a study to establish the feasibility of performing a microendoscopic posterior approach for cervical foraminotomy in the clinical setting.MethodsThe authors performed an endoscopic posterior foraminotomy technique in which they used a rigid endoscope, in both a cadaver model and in three clinical cases, including one in which a multiple-level procedure was undertaken. Postoperatively, all patients returned to functional work status within 4 weeks. The mean length of hospitalization was 1.3 days.ConclusionsThe advantages to this technique include improved intraoperative visualization, a smaller incision, and significantly less postoperative discomfort compared with a traditional keyhole approach.

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