SynthesisJoint diseases and related surgery2026
Clinical efficacy and safety of unilateral biportal endoscopy for thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Joint diseases and related surgery, 2026. 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
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Unilateral biportal endoscopic spinal surgery for the treatment of Bertolotti syndrome in an adolescent, a case report.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Biportal endoscopic spinal surgery for thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum: a study of different classification types and surgical outcomes.Frontiers in neurologyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesIn this systematic review, we discuss the clinical efficacy and complications of unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) in the treatment of thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF), providing surgeons with evidence-based guidance for optimal treatment decisions. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases up to January 2025. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies reporting UBE outcomes for single/double-segment TOLF. Data on pain (Visual Analog Scores [VAS]), function (Oswestry Disability index [ODI] and Japanese Orthopaedic Association [JOA]), and complications were pooled using random-effects models. Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was applied as the evaluative benchmark for clinical significance.
resultsSix studies (n=77) were analyzed. Significant improvements were observed in leg pain (p<0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -6.63 to -3.57; I
conclusionPreliminary evidence suggests UBE may be a promising minimally invasive approach for TOLF, potentially offering accelerated recovery and reduced perioperative morbidity. However, given the limited sample size and substantial heterogeneity, these findings require validation through large-scale prospective studies.
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