Modified transcorporeal anterior cervical microforaminotomy for cervical radiculopathy: a technical note and early results

A prospective analysis of the first twenty patients operated for cervical radiculopathy by a new modification of transcorporeal anterior cervical foraminotomy technique. To evaluate early results of a functional disc surgery in which decompression for the cervical radiculopathy is done by drilling a hole in the upper vertebral body and most of the disc tissue is preserved. Earlier approaches to cervical disc surgery either advocated simple discectomy or discectomy with fusion, ultimately leading to loss of motion segment. Posterior foraminotomy does not address the more common anterior lesion. Twenty patients suffering from cervical radiculopathy not responding to conservative treatment were chosen for the new technique. Upper vertebral transcorporeal foraminotomy was performed with the modified technique in all the patients. All the patients experienced immediate/early relief of symptoms. No complications of vertebral artery injury, Horner's syndrome or recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy were noted. Modified transcorporeal anterior cervical microforaminotomy is an effective treatment for cervical radiculopathy. It avoids unnecessary violation of the disc space and much of the bony stabilizers of the cervical spine. Short-term results of this technique are quite encouraging. Longer-term analysis can help in outlining the true benefits of this technique.