Laminoplasty versus Laminectomy in the Treatment of Primary Spinal Cord Tumors in Adult Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to compare the safety and efficacy of the two approaches for primary spinal cord tumors (PSCTs) in adult patients (laminoplasty [LP] vs. laminectomy [LE]). LE is one of the most common procedures for PSCTs. Despite advantages of LP, it is not yet widely used in the neurosurgical community worldwide. The efficacy of LP vs. LE remains controversial. Adult patients over 18 years of age with PSCT at the level of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine were included in the study. A literature search was performed in MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar up to December 2021. Operation time, hospital stay, complications, and incidence of postoperative spinal deformity (kyphosis or scoliosis were extracted. A total of seven retrospective observational studies with 540 patients were included. There were no significant differences between LP and LE group in operation time (p =0.25) and complications (p =0.48). The LE group showed larger postoperative spinal deformity rate than the LP group (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.84; p =0.01). The LP group had a shorter hospital stay (standardized mean differences, -0.68; 95% CI, -1.03 to -0.34; p =0.0001) than the LE group. Both LP and LE have comparable operative times and total complications in the treatment of PSCT. LP was superior to LE in hospital stay and postoperative spinal deformity rate. However, these findings are limited by the very low quality of the available evidence. Randomized controlled trials are needed for further comparison.

Percutaneous Transforaminal Full-Endoscopic Removal of Neurinoma of the Fifth Lumbar Nerve Root With Intraoperative Neuromonitoring: A Case Report.

Background: Technical achievements and surgical techniques improvement contribute to the expansion of the endoscopic spine surgery possibilities. However, today there are few reports about the use of percutaneous endoscopy in spinal tumor surgery. A case of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic removal of the lumbar spinal nerve tumor with intraoperative neuromonitoring is presented. Case Description: A 59-year-old female was complaining of a left shin and foot pain, weakness, and paresthesia. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a tumor (neurinoma) at the left L5-S1 intervertebral foramen. Transforaminal endoscopic removal of an extramedullary tumor from an 8-mm skin incision with intraoperative neuromonitoring was performed. Postoperative MRI revealed the signs of total resection of the tumor. Conclusion: The presented case confirms that percutaneous endoscopic removal of lumbar spine intraforaminal neurinomas can be safe and effective.

Case Report: Full-Endoscopic Surgery for Bullet Wounds of the Spine: A Report of Three Cases.

Objectives: To determine the feasibility and evaluate effectiveness of full-endoscopic surgery in gunshot wound of the spine. Methods: Three clinical cases of lumbar and thoracic spine bullet wounds made by firearms and traumatic weapons are described. Percutaneous endoscopic surgery was performed to extract bullet from the spinal canal. The results are compared to the data from literature. Results: Percutaneous endoscopic approach to spinal canal with a possibility to extract a bullet, decompression of nerve roots, defect closure of the dura mater is demonstrated. Conclusion: Good clinical outcomes allows to recommend percutaneous endoscopic surgery to manage similar lumbar and thoracic spine bullet wounds at the tertiary care level.