Treatment of high-iliac-crest L5-S1 lumbar disc herniation via a transverse process endoscopic transforaminal approach

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of transverse process endoscopic transforaminal discectomy for the treatment of high-iliac-crest L5-S1 lumbar disc herniation. Methods: Seventeen patients with high-iliac-crest L5-S1 lumbar disc herniation who were treated with transforaminal endoscopy from April 2016 to January 2019 in the Department of Neurosurgery of Xuanwu Hospital were selected. The visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were used to evaluate the efficacy of the procedure. Results: All of the patients successfully underwent the surgical treatment. Sixteen patients (94.1 %) completed effective follow-up for more than 12 months. The VAS was 7.8 +/- 1.9, 2.9 +/- 1.6, 2.3 +/- 1.5 and 2.2 +/- 1.6 before surgery and at one day, 3 months, and the last follow-up after surgery, respectively. The ODI scores were 52.8 +/- 15.2 and 16.9 +/- 9.7 before surgery and 3 months after surgery, respectively, both of which were lower than before surgery (both P < 0.01). Efficacy evaluation: An excellent outcome was achieved in 13 (81.3 %) patients, a good outcome in 1 patient (6.3 %), an acceptable outcome in 1 patient (6.3 %), and a poor outcome in 1 patient (6.3 %). Conclusions: The transverse process endoscopic transforaminal discectomy is a safe and effective surgical method for the treatment of high-iliac-crest L5-S1 lumbar disc herniation.