Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Foraminoplasty and Decompression for the Treatment of Intraspinal Tophaceous Gout: A Case Series

Abstract Background: This study reports a case series of transforaminal endoscopic decompression for symptomatic intraspinal gout treatment.Methods: In the past three years, the technique of transforaminal endoscopic decompression has been applied for the treatment of symptomatic intraspinal gout, and detailed information on 8 consecutive patients pre- and postoperatively has been recorded for further research.Results: Here, we present a consecutive series of 8 patients who underwent transforaminal endoscopic decompression for the treatment of intraspinal gout in our hospital from 2016 to 2019. These 8 patients all suffered from low back and leg pain and varying degrees of neurologic deficits. After at least 1 year of follow-up, the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (m-JOA) score and the MOS 36-Item Short-from Health Survey (SF-36) score were significantly improved compared with before surgery. All patients were satisfied with the results of the operation, and no complications were experienced.Conclusion: Transforaminal endoscopic decompression may be a unique approach to treat intraspinal gout because of its small trauma, rapid recovery, and reliable effect.