Published online Apr 18, 2023. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v14.i4.197
Peer-review started: January 28, 2023
First decision: February 20, 2023
Revised: March 2, 2023
Accepted: April 12, 2023
Article in press: April 12, 2023
Published online: April 18, 2023
Processing time: 80 Days and 8.5 Hours
Across many of the surgical specialties, the use of minimally invasive techniques that utilize indirect visualization has been increasingly replacing traditional techniques which utilize direct visualization. Arthroscopic surgery of the appendicular skeleton has evolved dramatically and become an integral part of musculoskeletal surgery over the last several decades, allowing surgeons to achieve similar or better outcomes, while reducing cost and recovery time. However, to date, the axial skeleton, with its close proximity to critical neural and vascular structures, has not adopted endoscopic techniques at as rapid of a rate. Over the past decade, increased patient demand for less invasive spine surgery combined with surgeon desire to meet these demands has driven significant evolution and innovation in endoscopic spine surgery. In addition, there has been an enormous advancement in technologies that assist in navigation and automation that help surgeons circumvent limitations of direct visualization inherent to less invasive techniques. There are currently a multitude of endoscopic techniques and approaches that can be utilized in the treatment of spine disorders, many of which are evolving rapidly. Here we present a review of the field of endoscopic spine surgery, including the background, techniques, applications, current trends, and future directions, to help providers gain a better understanding of this growing modality in spine surgery.
Core Tip: Endoscopy is a rapidly evolving minimally invasive technique in the field of spine surgery. This review aims to summarize the history, current techniques, and discuss the benefits, limitations, and future directions of this minimally invasive technique.