Minimally Invasive Foraminotomy of the Cervical Spine: Improving Technique and Expanding Indications

T rise of minimally invasive techniques has returned the posterior cervical foraminotomy to the armamentarium of the spine surgeon. The morbidity associated with a midline exposure, especially with the complex insertion patterns of the posterior cervical musculature, has been difficult to reconcile with the well-tolerated anterior cervical approach. However, the development of minimally invasive techniques for posterior cervical foraminotomies not only has reversed the decreasing trend of posterior cervical approaches, but also has steadily expanded our capacity to address a variety of pathologies in the posterior cervical spine. In this report, we describe the minimally invasive technique for posterior cervical foraminotomy and laminectomy. The application of this technique in three distinct clinical scenarios is presented.