A Retrospective Study of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Discectomy and Transforaminal Endoscopic Discectomy for Single Level Calcified Lumbar Disc Herniation

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical effects of unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) discectomy and percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD) in the treatment of single level calcified lumbar disc herniation. Methods We reviewed all the cases of calcified lumbar disc herniation treated with UBE discectomy or PETD in our hospital from July 2020 to May 2022. The medical records and imaging data of cases with a follow-up period of more than 1 year were collected. The clinical effects of the two surgical methods were evaluated according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) of low back pain and Oswestry disability index (ODI) at preoperative, postoperative and postoperative follow-up time points. Results There was no difference in age, sex, BMI, surgical segment and type of calcification between the UBE group and PETD group. Compared with the UBE group, the PETD group has obvious advantages in operation time, blood loss, incision length and hospital stay, but needs more fluoroscopy times. The postoperative VAS and ODI scores were significantly improved in both groups. The VAS score of low back pain in the UBE group was higher on the 3rd day after operation, and there was no significant difference in follow-up between the two groups. Two patients in UBE group had dural tear, and one patient in PETD group had transient ipsilateral nerve root paralysis and limb numbness. Conclusions Both PETD and UBE discectomy can achieve satisfactory results in the treatment of calcified disc herniation. However, the operation time, injury and hospitalization time of PETD are less, but it requires special surgical tools and more fluoroscopy times.