Functional Outcome Of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Ligamentum Flavum Preserving Discectomy

Abstract

Introduction: Low back pain affects roughly 70–80% of people at some point in their lives. Lumbar disc prolapse is one of the major reasons of low back pain that causes severe morbidity around the world, affecting primarily the working-class young population. We conducted this study to describe the unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) discectomy technique for lumbar herniated disc with the aim on how to perform theses procedure safely while also preserving the structures like the facet joints through the posterior interlaminar approach. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted between July 2019 and July 2021. The total number of patients included in the study was 41. A total of 54 levels of discectomy were done. The visual analog scale was used to assess back pain and lower leg symptoms, the Oswestry Disability Index was used to assess degrees of disability, and modified Macnab criteria were used to assess overall outcomes of treatment. Results: Following the procedure, there was a significant improvement. The ultimate outcomes were excellent in 24 patients (58.53%), good in 15 (36.58%), fair in 2 (4.8%), and poor in 0 patients, according to the modified Macnab criteria. That is, 95.11% of patients had excellent or good results. Conclusion: The UBE discectomy approach for lumbar disc herniation is a minimally invasive procedure that is both safe and successful. There is no soft-tissue degradation or facet joint destruction.