Comparative efficacy of unilateral biportal and percutaneous endoscopic techniques in unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) for lumbar spinal stenosis

Unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) has yielded positive results in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Unilateral biportal ULBD (UB-ULBD) and percutaneous endoscopic ULBD (PE-ULBD) are gaining popularity because of the progress that has been made in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the radiographic and clinical results of UB-ULBD and PE-ULBD. This study retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent ULBD surgery for LSS. The patients were categorized into two groups on the basis of the surgical method: the UB-ULBD group and the PE-ULBD group. Data on the general demographic data, surgical details, clinical efficacy, radiography and complications were compared between the two groups were compared. The minimum follow-up duration was 12 months. A total of 113 LSS patients who had undergone ULBD at our institution were included, of whom 61 patients underwent UB-ULBD surgery and 52 underwent PE-ULBD surgery. The UB-ULBD group had a significantly shorter operation time (P