• Sotirios Apostolakis.
• Department of Neurosurgery, KAT General Hospital of Attica, Kifisia, Greece. Electronic address: sotapostolakis@gmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2020 Jun 1; 138: 318-327.

ObjectiveThe transcorporeal tunnel approach is a relatively new alternative of anterior cervical decompression and fusion for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy, with its main presumed advantage being the preservation of the intervertebral space. The aim of the present article is to present the outcomes of the systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the short-term outcomes of this surgical technique.MethodsA systematic review and a meta-analysis using the random-effects method of the available studies were performed to assess the safety and efficiency of the transcorporeal tunnel approach for cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy.ResultsIn total, 15 eligible studies were identified, with a cumulative number of 254 patients. Pooled data yielded a complication rate of 0.053 and a failure rate of the technique of 0.081; a patient-reported favorable outcome of 0.94 was documented. The available data did not allow for a definite conclusion on the effects of the technique on the intervertebral space height.ConclusionsAlthough technically challenging, like all minimally invasive methods, the transcorporeal tunnel approach seems to be a safe and efficient option for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy, presenting comparable outcome profiles to alternative open or less invasive techniques.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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