Minimally Invasive Posterior Decompression of the Cervical Spine

Degenerative stenosis of the cervical spinal canal may be caused by the compression of the posterior part of the dural sac and spinal cord by the hypertrophied ligamentum flavum and facet joints, by the compression of the anterior part of the dural sac and spinal cord by the posterior longitudinal ligament, vertebral osteophytes and protrusion/ herniation.

The choice of surgical treatment in such cases is challenging. Posterior decompression and fixation is often proposed, but it is associated with a traumatic posterior approach, a large wound, and blood loss, a high risk of surgery site infections, and also instability of the metal fixation is possible. Also important is the increase in the surgical procedure cost due to the use of metal implants. An excellent alternative to standard posterior decompression and fixation is a method with isolated decompression of the cervical canal via posterior approach, which does not require any metal fixation.