Pin-assisted retraction technique in unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE: Unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) discectomy is a reliable endoscopic technique in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. However, UBE discectomy involves a single-handed manipulation, which may compromise the utility of the procedure. The present study was performed to examine the efficacy and safety of a novel pin-assisted retraction technique. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study involved 57 consecutive patients who underwent UBE lumbar discectomy from July 2021 to May 2022. The patients were randomly divided into the pin-assisted UBE discectomy group (P-UBE group) and the traditional UBE discectomy group (T-UBE group). The patients’ perioperative data, clinical outcomes, and radiologic outcomes were collected and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, endoscopic irrigation volume, and overall complication rate were significantly lower in the P-UBE group than in the T-UBE group. There were no significant differences in the clinical outcome data between the two groups. CONCLUSION: P-UBE discectomy may have superior safety and efficacy over the traditional technique, and it has the potential to serve as an optional method in UBE lumbar surgery.