We performed a prospective study to examine the influence of the patient's position on the location of the abdominal organs, to investigate the possibility of a true lateral approach for transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy. Pre-operative abdominal CT scans were taken in 20 patients who underwent endoscopic lumbar discectomy. Axial images in parallel planes of each intervertebral disc fr...

This paper reviews the current published data regarding open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in relation to minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF). Introduction. MI-TLIF, a modern method for lumbar interbody arthrodesis, has allowed for a minimally invasive method to treat degenerative spinal pathologies. Currently, there is limited literature that com...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cervical transforaminal blocks are frequently performed to treat cervical radicular pain. These blocks are performed mostly under fluoroscopy, but a CT-guided technique has also been described. The aim of this study was to review the results of CT-guided CSNRB by using a dorsal approach, to describe the contrast patterns achieved with this injection technique, and to esti...

Microsurgery for lumbar herniated discs that require surgical intervention is a very successful and well-described technique, whether performed through more traditional "open" microsurgical retractors or through minimally-invasive "tube" retractors. Surgery for extruded lumbar disc fragments that migrate caudad or cephalad from the disc origin may typically require modifying the standard hemila...

OBJECTIVE To compare the short-term effect and advantage of transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) performed using the Kambin's triangle and subpedicular approaches. METHOD Forty-two patients with radicular pain from lumbar spinal stenosis were enrolled. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. All procedures were performed using C-arm KMC 950. The frequency of complic...

BACKGROUND Transforaminal epidural injections, or selective nerve root blocks, are used for a myriad of different spinal disorders. A clear consensus on the use of selective nerve root injections as a diagnostic tool does not currently exist. Additionally, the effectiveness of this procedure as a diagnostic tool is not clear. OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate the accuracy of selective n...

BACKGROUND This report describes the methodological approach and clinical application of a minimally invasive intervention to treat lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). METHODS Thirty-four patients with LSS underwent fluoroscopically guided transforaminal epidural dry needling using a specially designed flexed Round Needle. The needle was inserted 8-12 cm lateral to the midline at the level of the s...

Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (PED) is a minimally invasive spinal technique and has several advantages compared with open surgery. We describe repeat PED surgery for recurrent herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP). The patient was a 33-year-old handball high level player. Previously, he underwent transforaminal PED under local anesthesia for intracanalicular HNP at L4-5 level about 2 years ago...

BACKGROUND Sagittal rebalancing of a fixated lumbar hypolordosis (kyphosis) is very important to gain satisfactory results. To correct a misalignment vertebral column resection or pedicle subtraction osteotomies are favored, disregarding the relatively high complication rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of a new modified transforaminal lumbar fusion techniqu...

Background. To compare the early postoperative results of three surgical approaches to lumbar disc herniations that migrated cranially. Minimally invasive techniques such as the translaminar and endoscopic transforaminal approaches are utilized in patients with lumbar disc herniations to gain access to cranially located disc material and to avoid the potentially destabilizing resection of ligam...