Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of lumbar disc resection under unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE)for calcified lumbar disc herniation(CLDH).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 25 patients with single-segment CLDH who underwent lumbar disc resection under UBE from January 2020 to January 2022.The operation time,postoperative hospital stay,and postoperative complications were recorded.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score for low back and leg pain,Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score for the lumbar spine,and Oswestry disability index(ODI)were used to evaluate the efficacy before surgery,3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and at the last follow-up.At the last follow-up,the modified Macnab standard was used to assess the excellent and good rate.Results The patients were followed up for 12～24 months,with an average of(15.60±2.60)months.The average operation time was(58.67±10.73)min,and the postoperative hospital stay was(4.65±0.63)d.The VAS score,and ODI were lower,and JOA score was higher at 3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and the last follow-up compared with those before surgery,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).At the last follow-up,according to the modified Macnab criteria,15 cases were rated as excellent,9 cases as good,and 1 case as fair.The excellent and good rate was 96.00%(24/25).Postoperative complications included a tear of the ventral dural sac of the nerve root,about 5 mm in length,without dural sac repair.The patient was instructed to stay in bed for 5 d after surgery and was given fluid replacement.The patient did not complain of discomfort such as headache when he got out of bed,and the postoperative MRI showed no massive epidural effusion.One patient had lower limb sensory disturbance and was treated with neurotrophic drugs,and recovered at the 1-month follow-up after surgery.Postoperative imaging examinations showed that the free calcified tissues were basically completely resected and the nerve roots were adequately decompressed.At the last follow-up,no recurrent cases were found.Conclusion Lumbar disc resection under UBE for CLDH is an effective and safe minimally invasive technique.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of lumbar disc resection under unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE)for calcified lumbar disc herniation(CLDH).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 25 patients with single-segment CLDH who underwent lumbar disc resection under UBE from January 2020 to January 2022.The operation time,postoperative hospital stay,and postoperative complications were recorded.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score for low back and leg pain,Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score for the lumbar spine,and Oswestry disability index(ODI)were used to evaluate the efficacy before surgery,3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and at the last follow-up.At the last follow-up,the modified Macnab standard was used to assess the excellent and good rate.Results The patients were followed up for 12～24 months,with an average of(15.60±2.60)months.The average operation time was(58.67±10.73)min,and the postoperative hospital stay was(4.65±0.63)d.The VAS score,and ODI were lower,and JOA score was higher at 3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and the last follow-up compared with those before surgery,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).At the last follow-up,according to the modified Macnab criteria,15 cases were rated as excellent,9 cases as good,and 1 case as fair.The excellent and good rate was 96.00%(24/25).Postoperative complications included a tear of the ventral dural sac of the nerve root,about 5 mm in length,without dural sac repair.The patient was instructed to stay in bed for 5 d after surgery and was given fluid replacement.The patient did not complain of discomfort such as headache when he got out of bed,and the postoperative MRI showed no massive epidural effusion.One patient had lower limb sensory disturbance and was treated with neurotrophic drugs,and recovered at the 1-month follow-up after surgery.Postoperative imaging examinations showed that the free calcified tissues were basically completely resected and the nerve roots were adequately decompressed.At the last follow-up,no recurrent cases were found.Conclusion Lumbar disc resection under UBE for CLDH is an effective and safe minimally invasive technique.