2025 Volume 16 Issue 8 Pages 1064-1070
Introduction: Foraminal re-stenosis after FPCF has been observed over time, but no reports have addressed this issue. This study investigated the occurrence of foraminal re-stenosis following FPCF and its clinical significance.
Materials and Methods: Among 634 patients who underwent FPCF at our institution between January 2014 and May 2023, 115 patients with postoperative CT images available more than one year after surgery were analyzed. The reduction rates of foraminal dimensions in coronal, sagittal, and 3D views were assessed. The influence of age, sex, BMI, diabetes, and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) was evaluated.
Results: The reduction rates of the resection dimensions were 32.6% for the upper facet, 32.7% for the lower facet, 35.1% for the sagittal resection height, and 55.1% for the 3D bony foramen area. These reduction rates were not correlated with age or BMI, nor were they associated with gender, diabetes, or the presence of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Reoperations at the same level were performed in 12 cases (10.4%), including anterior cervical decompression and fusion in 9 cases (7.8%) and cervical laminoplasty in 3 cases (2.6%). Moreover, no statistically significant differences in the reduction rates were observed between patients with and without reoperation (p>0.05).
Discussion: Foraminal re-stenosis was observed after FPCF, but it did not affect clinical outcomes. Adequate bony decompression, including the removal of the perineural membrane, may have contributed to the lack of correlation between re-stenosis and reoperation rates.
