Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40881266›Full record

ArticleJournal of surgical case reports2025

Uniportal endoscopic decompression without fusion for grade II-III degenerative spondylolisthesis in the elderly: a case series.

Edwin H Y Lui, Ralph J Mobbs

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of surgical case reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Edwin H Y LuiFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Barker St, Kensington, 2052, NSW, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5266-4253
Ralph J MobbsFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Barker St, Kensington, 2052, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Higher-grade degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis in the elderly presents a significant management challenge. Standard treatment often involves surgical fusion, which provides stability but carries substantial morbidity in this vulnerable population. Decompression alone is less invasive but lacks strong evidence for these specific grades. This case series reports on facet-sparing uniportal endoscopic decompression as a less invasive alternative in three carefully selected elderly patients (>75 years old) with stable Grade II/III degenerative slips and neurogenic symptoms. All patients experienced rapid postoperative recovery, were discharged the same day and had minimal complications. At 6- to 18-months follow-up, they demonstrated significant symptom relief and functional gains while maintaining radiographic stability without slip progression. These preliminary results suggest uniportal endoscopic decompression alone may be a viable option for selected elderly patients with stable Grade II-III spondylolisthesis and warrants further investigation.

Indexed as

degenerative spondylolisthesiselderlyfusion alternativesminimally invasive spine surgeryneurogenic claudicationuniportal endoscopic decompression

Identifiers

PMID40881266
PMCPMC12381755

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.