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Objective. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of two-level percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) and foraminoplasty PELD in treating highly migrated lumbar disc herniations. Methods. Patients with highly migrated lumbar disc herniations were enrolled from May 2014 to June 2016. Low back pain and leg pain were evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and functional outcomes were assessed with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The satisfaction rate of clinical outcomes was assessed according to the modified MacNab criteria. In addition, the intraoperative duration and postoperative complications were also recorded. Results. Forty patients, 14 cases in two-level PELD group and 26 cases in foraminoplasty PELD group, were included. The VAS scores of low back pain (P=0.67) and leg pain (P=0.86), as well as the ODI scores (P=0.87), were comparative between two-level PELD and foraminoplasty PELD groups. The satisfaction rate of clinical outcomes based on the modified MacNab criteria in the two-level PELD group was equivalent to that in foraminoplasty PELD group (92.9% versus 92.3%, P=0.92). In addition, the intraoperative duration of two-level PELD group was longer than that of foraminoplasty PELD group (80.2 ± 6.6 min versus 64.1 ± 7.3 min, P<0.01). The postoperative complications in the two-level PELD group (postoperative dysesthesia: N = 1) were relatively fewer as compared to those in the foraminoplasty PELD group (postoperative dysesthesia: N = 1; recurrence: N = 1; nucleus pulposus residues: N = 1). Conclusions. Both two-level PELD and foraminoplasty PELD are safe and effective surgical procedures for the patients with highly migrated lumbar disc herniations. Moreover, the two-level PELD technique has merits in reducing the incidence of postoperative nucleus pulposus residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To describe the two-level percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) technique in transforaminal approach for highly migrated disc herniation and investigate its clinical outcomes. Methods. A total of 22 consecutive patients with highly migrated lumbar disc herniation were enrolled for the study from June 2012 to February 2014. Results. There were 12 males and 10 females, with a mean age of 41.1 (range 23–67) years. The mean follow-up period was 18.05 (range 14–33) months. According to the modified MacNab criteria, the clinical outcome at the final follow-up was excellent in 14, good in 6, and fair in 2 patients and the satisfactory rate (excellent and good) was 90.9%. The improvements in VAS and ODI were statistically significant. One patient had recurrent herniation in 18 months after the first surgery and underwent open discectomy. One patient showed symptoms of postoperative dysesthesia (POD), but the POD symptom was transient and partial remission was achieved in two months after conservative treatment. Conclusion. Two-level PELD in transforaminal approach can be a safe and effective procedure for highly migrated disc herniation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to directly compare the clinical outcomes of posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) in three-level lumbar spinal stenosis. This retrospective study involved a total of 60 patients with three-level degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis who underwent MIS-TLIF or PLIF from January 2010 to February 2012. Back and leg visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Short Form-36 (SF-36) scale were used to assess the pain, disability, and health status before surgery and postoperatively. In addition, the operating time, estimated blood loss, and hospital stay were also recorded. There were no significant differences in back VAS, leg VAS, ODI, SF-36, fusion condition, and complications at 12-month follow-up between the two groups (P>0.05). However, significantly less blood loss and shorter hospital stay were observed in MIS-TLIF group (P<0.05). Moreover, patients undergoing MIS-TLIF had significantly lower back VAS than those in PLIF group at 6-month follow-up (P<0.05). Compared with PLIF, MIS-TLIF might be a prior option because of noninferior efficacy as well as merits of less blood loss and quicker recovery in treating three-level lumbar spinal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extensile lateral approach had been recognized as the gold standard technique for displaced intra-articular calcaneus fractures (DIACFs) while sinus tarsi approach had been increasingly valued by surgeons and comparative clinical outcome was shown in both techniques. Appropriate decisions could be made by the clinicians with the help of cost-utility analysis (CUA) about optimal healthcare for type II/III calcaneus fracture. Method: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted in which basic characteristics, clinical outcomes, and health care costs of 109 patients had been obtained and analyzed. Changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores, validated by EuroQol five-dimensional-three levels (EQ-5D-3L), were used to enumerate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Cost-effectiveness was determined by the incremental cost per QALY. Results: One hundred nine patients were enrolled in our study including 62 in the ELA group and 47 in the STA group. There were no significant differences between these two groups in mean total cost, laboratory, and radiographic evaluation expense, surgery, anesthesia, and antibiotic expense. The expense of internal fixation materials ($3289.0 ± 543.9) versus ($2630.6 ± 763.7) and analgesia ($145.8 ± 85.6) versus ($102.9 ± 62.7) in ELA group were significantly higher than in the STA group (P <.001, P =.008, respectively). Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores showed significant difference at postoperative 3 and 5 days (P <.001). American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores and the Bohlers' and Gissane angle showed no significant differences between the two groups before and after the operation. The cost-effectiveness ratios of ELA and STA were $8766.8 ± 2835.2/QALY and $7914.9 ± 1822.0/QALY respectively, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICERs) of ELA over STA was $32110.00/QALY, but both showed no significant difference. Conclusion: Both ELA and STA techniques are effective operative procedures for the patients with calcaneus fracture. Moreover, STA seems to be more reasonable for its merits including less postoperative pain, and less expense of analgesia as well as internal fixation materials. Level of evidence: 5 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]