Microsurgical anterior cervical foraminotomy for radiculopathy: a new approach to cervical disc herniation.

A new technique of microsurgical anterior foraminotomy was developed to improve the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. This technique provides direct anatomical decompression of the compressed nerve root by removing the compressive spondylotic spur or disc fragment. The nerve root is decompressed from its origin in the spinal cord to the point at which it passes behind the vertebral artery laterally. Because most of the disc within the intervertebral space is undisturbed, a functioning motion segment of the disc remains intact. This technique differs from that of Verbiest in that it does not directly transpose the vertebral artery. Unlike Hakuba's technique, the disc within the intervertebral disc space is not removed.