Clinical efficacy of posterior endoscopic cervical modified trench technique in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy: A retrospective study

To investigate the clinical efficacy of the posterior endoscopic cervical modified trench technique in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). This retrospective study included 9 patients with single-segment CSM, who were treated with posterior endoscopic cervical modified trench technique. Related clinical data, the visual analog scale, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) ratings, JOA improvement rate, the minimum sagittal diameter of the spinal canal, and surgical complications were recorded. There were 5 men and 4 females, with an average age of 60.44 ± 16.49 years. Without any significant side effects like paralysis, vascular damage, or cerebrospinal fluid leaking, all surgeries were successfully completed. One year’s worth of follow-up with patients lasted for 8.56 ± 3.68 months. When compared to before surgery, the postoperative visual analog scale ratings, JOA scores, and minimum sagittal diameter of the spinal canal value all showed a substantial improvement (P < .01). At the most recent follow-up, 2 patients had a JOA improvement rate of >75%, 6 patients had a JOA improvement rate of 74 to 50%, 1 patient had a JOA improvement rate of 49 to 25%, and none had a JOA improvement rate of <25%. The JOA improvement rate was above 90% for overall excellent and good ratings. In our study, the ventral epidural space may be maneuvered more easily and instrument-induced nerve discomfort is decreased when using the posterior endoscopic cervical modified trench approach with posterior endoscopy. The short-term clinical effect of the posterior endoscopic cervical modified trench technique for CSM is satisfactory.