ArticleInternational journal of spine surgery2021
Five-Year Outcomes After Transforaminal Endoscopic Foraminotomy and Discectomy for Soft and Calcified Thoracic Disc Herniations.
Article in International journal of spine surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Full-endoscopic discectomy for thoracic disc herniations: a single-arm meta-analysis of safety and efficacy outcomes.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 · 2023Pooled it
- Thoracic endoscopic spine surgery: systematic review of the literature and exploring the margin of benefit.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2026Review
- A hybrid posterior microsurgical and lateral full-endoscopic approach for a large calcified thoracic disc herniation: the "hammock technique"-a case report.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2026Article
- Calcified Thoracic Disc Herniation: Surgical Management, Surgical Approaches, and Decision-Making.Orthopedic reviews · 2026Article
- [Cervical and thoracic disc herniation].Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Review
- Does disc consistency matter? a comparative series on calcified and soft thoracic disc herniations.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 · 2025Article
- Endoscopic Transforaminal Thoracic Decompression for Removal of a Giant Calcified Thoracic Disc Herniation.Neurospine · 2024Article
- Surgical Treatment of Calcified Thoracic Herniated Disc Disease via the Transthoracic Approach with the Use of Intraoperative Computed Tomography (iCT) and Microscope-Based Augmented Reality (AR).Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- Transforaminal endoscopic thoracic discectomy: surgical technique.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2023Article
- Uniportal, Transforaminal Endoscopic Thoracic Discectomy: Review and Technical Note.Neurospine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and long-term clinical outcomes of transforaminal full endoscopic discectomy and foraminotomy performed with manual reamers under local anesthesia on soft and calcified herniated discs in the mid and lower thoracic spine.
methodsPostoperative pain relief was self-evaluated by 16 patients using a visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Patients were scored at 6, 12, 24, and 60 months after surgery.
resultsSignificant pain reduction of more than 50% in the VAS score was achieved in 15 out of 16 patients at all review points throughout this study. Similarly, a decrease of more than 50% in ODI scores was achieved in 15 out of 16 patients in all 4 review points. There were no surgical complications. Good postoperative results were achieved in patients regardless of the consistency of the disc herniation.
conclusionsTransforaminal full endoscopic discectomy and foraminotomy with manual reamers performed under local anesthesia produces sustained reduction in pain and improves functionality in patients with mid and lower thoracic spine soft and calcified disc herniations. The surgery is safe and straightforward to perform with the correct training. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Thoracic transforaminal endoscopic discectomy and foraminotomy, performed in TIVA, may be a useful adjunct for treatment of patients with soft and calcified disc herniations in thoracic spine.
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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.