Trial reportEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2014
Surgical technique and effectiveness of microendoscopic discectomy for large uncontained lumbar disc herniations: a prospective, randomized, controlled study with 8 years of follow-up.
Trial report in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 38 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 78 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effect of symptom duration on the outcomes of lumbar discectomy for radicular pain secondary to lumbar disc herniation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025Pooled it
- Comparison of different treatments for lumbar disc herniation: a network meta-analysis and systematic review.BMC surgery · 2025Pooled it
- Eight Surgical Interventions for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Network Meta-Analysis on Complications.Frontiers in surgery · 2021Pooled it
- Complication rates of different discectomy techniques for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2020Pooled it
- Complication rates of different discectomy techniques for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation: a network meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2019Pooled it
- Microendoscopic discectomy versus open discectomy for lumbar disc herniation: a meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2016Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of endoscopic discectomy versus open discectomy for symptomatic lumbar disk herniation.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2016Pooled it
- Comparison of the effectiveness and outcome of microendoscopic and open discectomy in patients suffering from lumbar disc herniation.Medicine · 2019Trial
- Comparison of outcomes between unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy and percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy in single-level lumbar disc herniation.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Innovative combination of unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy and interlaminar dynamic stabilization using the IntraSPINE device for huge lumbar disc herniation: technical note and preliminary report.Wideochirurgia i inne techniki maloinwazyjne = Videosurgery and other miniinvasive techniques · 2025Article
- The value of contrast-enhanced MRI in the selection of surgical approaches for recurrent lumbar disc herniation in full-endoscopic surgery.Neurosurgical review · 2025Article
- Analysis of factors affecting the clinical management of infection in culture-negative patients following percutaneous endoscopic decompression: a retrospective study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Article
- Radiologic Analysis of Causes of Early Recurrence After Percutaneous Endoscopic Transforaminal Discectomy.Global spine journal · 2024Article
- Preoperative application of CT and MRI registration in lumbar disc herniation endoscopic surgery could improve the postoperative rehabilitation of patients.American journal of translational research · 2024Article
- Comparison of surgical invasiveness between micro-endoscopic discectomy/microscopic discectomy and conventional hemilaminectomy in dogs.The Journal of veterinary medical science · 2023Article
- Microendoscopic Surgery for Degenerative Disorders of the Cervical and Lumbar Spine: The Influence of the Tubular Workspace on Instrument Angulation, Clinical Outcome, Complications, and Reoperation Rates.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Article
- Complications associated with lumbar discectomy surgical techniques: a systematic review.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2022Review
- Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy Using a Double-Cannula Guide Tube for Large Lumbar Disc Herniation.Orthopaedic surgery · 2022Article
- Comparison of Endoscopic Discectomy Versus Non-Endoscopic Discectomy for Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Global spine journal · 2022Article
- Microendoscopic lumbar discectomy with general versus local anesthesia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.North American Spine Society journal · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere is a long-held concept among spine surgeons that endoscopic lumbar discectomy procedures are reserved for small-contained disc herniation; 8-year follow-up has not been reported. The purpose of this study is to assess microendoscopic discectomy (MED) in patients with large uncontained lumbar disc herniation (the antero-posterior diameter of the extruded fragment is 6-12 mm or more on axial cuts of MRI) and report long-term outcome.
methodsOne hundred eighty-five patients with MED or standard open discectomy underwent follow-up for 8 years. Primary (clinical) outcomes data included Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for back and leg symptoms and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to quantify pain and disability, respectively. Secondary (objective) outcomes data included operative time, blood loss, postoperative analgesics, length of hospital stay, time to return to work, reoperation and complication rate, patient satisfaction index (PSI), and modified (MacNab) criteria.
resultsAt the end of the follow-up, the leg pain relief was statistically significant for both groups. NRS back pain, ODI, PSI and MacNab criteria showed significant deterioration for control group. Secondary outcomes data of MED group were significantly better than the control group.
conclusionsLarge, uncontained, lumbar disc herniations can be sufficiently removed using MED which is an effective alternative to open discectomy procedures with remarkable long-term outcome. Although the neurological outcome of the two procedures is the same, the morbidity of MED is significantly less than open discectomy. Maximum benefit can be gained if we adhere to strict selection criteria. The optimum indication is single- or multi-level radiculopathy secondary to a single-level, large, uncontained, lumbar disc herniation.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.