Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression: Defining Its Scope and Limitations.
Surgeon confidence in central canal stenosis inversely correlates with posterolateral herniated nucleus pulposus skill
Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression: Defining Its Scope and Limitations.
Transforaminal endoscopic lumbar decompression (transforaminal endoscopic lumbar decompression) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative for managing lumbar stenosis and disc herniations.
To evaluate surgeon perspectives on the clinical applicability of transforaminal endoscopic lumbar decompression across different pathologies and compare these findings with published evidence.
An international cross-sectional survey was conducted among spine surgeons.
Analysis of 128 surgeon responses demonstrated clear stratification of consensus across pathologies.
Moderate consensus was found for central HNP and central canal stenosis , where responses were stable but showed slightly greater variability.
The Q3 correlation matrix revealed both overlapping and divergent domains of surgical confidence.
Positive correlations linked lateral canal and central canal stenosis ( r = 0.116), suggesting that surgeons proficient in transforaminal approaches for lateral pathology may also extend these skills to central disease.
These findings suggest that technical proficiency in 1 domain does not necessarily translate to others, emphasizing the need for specialized training in complex or atypical scenarios.
Refinement in training and technique positions transforaminal endoscopic surgery to redefine spinal stenosis care, moving past the entrenched notion that its use is confined to foraminal and lateral canal disease while central canal pathology belongs exclusively to interlaminar methods.