Fully endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy and discectomy for lateral disc herhiation (literature review and results of authors’ studies)

A review of the literature on the comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of various techniques of posterior cervical foraminotomy is presented. Fully endoscopic posterior foraminotomy is considered to be a good alternative to standard methods of cervical discectomy for lateral "soft" intervertebral disc herniation with monoradicular syndrome. Along with similar clinical efficacy, the procedure has the merits that are common for minimally invasive interventions. The study focuses on technical aspects of fully endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy. A detailed and illustrated description of the surgical technique is given. A clinical case demonstrates its performance and outcome.