Minimally invasive posterior cervical decompression using tubular retractor: The technical note and early clinical outcome
A 65-year-old female visited our clinic complaining neck pain and severe right side radicular arm pain with hand grip weakness for 12 months. She was conservatively treated at local clinic for 8 months without improvement. The cervical MRI showed right side neural foraminal stenosis from C3 to C6 levels and central spinal canal stenosis from C4 to C6 levels with myelopathy due to ossification of ligament flavumm (OLF). Cervical dynamic (flexion-extension) MRI showed aggravation of canal stenosis by posterior pathology on extension []. Her VAS scores for neck pain and radicular pain were 5 and 8, respectively. She underwent posterior Rt. side ULBD decompression with tubular retractor from C4 to C6 levels []. There was no complication during surgery except asymptomatic spinous process fracture discovered only after postoperative CT was taken. The operation time was 1.5 h and EBL was 40 cc after surgery, the VAS score for neck pain reduced from 5 to 3 and VAS score for radicular pain reduced from 8 to 3. She was discharged a day after surgery.