Transtubular Anterior Cervical Foraminotomy for the Treatment of Compressive Cervical Radiculopathy: Surgical Results and Complications in a Consecutive Series of Cases

STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective review of patients with compressive cervical radiculopathy treated with a minimally invasive anterior cervical foraminotomy (ACF). PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the results and complication rates of ACF in a consecutive series of patients and to report our clinical results of ACF as a minimally invasive technique in a series of 45 consecutive patients treated for compressive cervical radiculopathy. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: ACF is a motion-sparing procedure and an alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and posterior cervical foraminotomy for direct nerve root decompression in patients with compressive cervical radiculopathy. METHODS: The chart review recorded clinical and radiological features preoperatively and postoperatively and at follow-up (FU). The effect of prognostic factors was analyzed in relation to the clinical outcome. RESULTS: Between January 2004 and October 2019, 45 patients (15 females and 30 males) with a mean age of 55.9 years (range, 28–78 years) underwent ACF for unilateral cervical radiculopathy. The global clinical outcome according to the MacNab scale was evaluated as excellent in 64.5% of patients (n=29), good in 28.9% (n=13), fair in 4.4% (n=2), and poor in 2.2% (n=1). The radiological FU was available for 73.3% (n=33). The statistical analysis revealed no influence of age, sex, operated level, and side on the clinical outcome. Only one patient (2.2%) exhibited spontaneous bone fusion at the operated level on FU after a right-sided C6–7 ACF with no clinical consequences. No patient presented with signs of delayed segmental instability. The overall reoperation rate of this series was 4.4%. CONCLUSIONS: ACF is a feasible and low-cost alternative to ACDF in selected patients with cervical radiculopathy. The use of tubular retractors in ACF may confer an added advantage that creates a safe corridor for direct cervical root decompression yet minimizing surrounding soft tissue retraction and avoiding unnecessary bone removal.