Unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression and balloon kyphoplasty to decompress lumber canal stenosis aggravated by osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: A technical note

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment of lumbar canal stenosis (LCS) associated with osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) remains unclear. Here, we have combined a minimally invasive unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) alone with balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) for LCS aggravated by OVF. METHODS: ULBD with BKP was performed in three patients who showed LCS associated with OVFs on MR images with progressive lower extremity neurological deficits. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. Radiological outcomes were evaluated using multiple parameters (i.e., fractured vertebral body height, lumbar lordosis [LL], and focal angle of the fractured vertebral body). RESULTS: Over 6 postoperative months, the NRS and JOA scores were clearly improved while radiological parameters remained maintained (i.e., loss of fractured vertebral body height was only 0.3–1.4 mm in all cases). Two of the three cases showed restoration of LL and focal angle postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The combination of ULBD with BKP is an effective option for LCS aggravated by OVF.