Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41489665›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2026

Clinical Outcomes and Future Directions of Endoscopic Cervical Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review With Narrative Insights.

Ryan Wang, Satheeshram Tamilselvan, Ji Soo Ha, Aditya Vedantam, Courtney Rory Goodwin, Nathan Evaniew, Uzondu F Agochukwu, Konstantinos Margetis, Yoon Ha, Michael Fehlings and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global spine journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
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

12 authors.

Ryan WangChicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9681-4695
Satheeshram TamilselvanChicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, USA.
Ji Soo HaDepartment of Spine Surgery, Yonsei Okay Hospital, Uijeongbu-si, South Korea.
Aditya VedantamDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5212-0640
Courtney Rory GoodwinDepartment of Neurosurgery, Spine Division, Duke Medical Center University, Durham, NC, USA.
Nathan EvaniewSection of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Uzondu F AgochukwuDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Konstantinos MargetisDepartment of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3715-8093
Yoon HaSeverance Hospital College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-3775-2324
Michael FehlingsDivision of Neurosurgery and Spine Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-5722-6364
Jefferson R WilsonDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Ankit I MehtaDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6931-6095

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Study DesignSystematic Review.ObjectiveEndoscopic cervical spine surgery (ECSS) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open surgery for certain cervical spine disorders. ECSS may offer potential advantages such as reduced tissue trauma, shorter hospital stays, and accelerated functional recovery. Technological advancements have further enhanced its feasibility. The purpose of this article is to review current ECSS approaches, systematically review ECSS for cervical stenosis, and explore future directions of ECSS.MethodsThe PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases were searched systematically until October 20, 2024, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. We searched keywords associated with cervical stenosis, including "endoscopic cervical surgery", "endoscopic cervical discectomy", "endoscopic cervical foraminotomy", "cervical endoscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression", and "unilateral bilateral endoscopy". We excluded duplicate publications, review articles, preprints, and studies without clinical outcomes or incomplete information. Clinical outcomes and complications were collected.ResultsA total of 12 studies were included with 2 studies being reported twice for having two different ECSS approaches. Each study reported postoperative improvement in clinical outcomes compared to preoperative measurements. The most common complications included dural tears, transient hypesthesia, and CSF leakage.ConclusionECSS is an emerging alternative for treating select cases of symptomatic cervical stenosis and other cervical conditions. Complications differed depending on the approach. Advancements in endoscopic instruments, navigational technologies, and artificial intelligence hold promise for improving preoperative planning, surgical precision, and patient outcomes. The true value of ECSS will require carefully conducted prospective, controlled studies with rigorous assessment of outcomes and complications.

Indexed as

endoscopic cervical discectomyendoscopic cervical foraminotomyendoscopic cervical spine surgeryminimally invasive spine surgeryunilateral biportal endoscopy

Identifiers

PMID41489665
PMCPMC12804027

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.