Observational studyScientific reports2025
Cost-effectiveness analysis of extended endoscopic lumbar foraminotomy (EELF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF): a prospective observational study.
Observational study in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Radiographic and clinical predictors of surgical outcomes following endoscopic decompression for radiculopathy in adult degenerative scoliosis: A multi-center retrospective study.Brain & spine · 2026Article
- Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring in Contemporary Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness.Brain sciences · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Lumbar foraminal stenosis can be surgically treated by foraminal decompression or facet joint resection and fusion (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, TLIF). While conventional foraminal decompression poses a risk of segmental instability, the endoscopic approach (extended endoscopic lumbar foraminotomy, EELF) resects only the ventral part of the facet joint with a horizontal surgical trajectory. A prospective observational study was performed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of EELF versus TLIF. Patients with dominant unilateral radicular pain from lumbar foraminal stenosis at or above L4-5, without severe central stenosis or instability, were included from January 2021 to February 2023. EELF involved sufficient foraminal widening using a reamer, followed by an endoscopic procedure. The primary outcome was the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gain at postoperative 12 months. Among 26 patients in each group, the primary analysis included 23 EELF patients (mean age: 72 ± 8 years) and 22 TLIF patients (mean age: 70 ± 8 years). EELF was significantly more cost-effective (EELF: $15,536.0 ± 4,190.0/QALY vs. TLIF: $32,869.4 ± 5,429.3/QALY, p < .001) and demonstrated shorter operating times, less blood loss, and shorter length of stay (p < .05), with no significant difference in clinical outcomes. Thus, EELF could be a cost-effective and less invasive alternative for treating lumbar foraminal stenosis.
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Registered trials
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