Case Report: Unilateral biportal endoscopic removal of migrated posterior lumbar interbody cages: a technical note.

OBJECTIVE

Revision surgery for the removal of a migrated interbody fusion cage is challenging due to scar tissue formation in the surgical area. This study introduces a unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) technique for the removal of a migrated fusion cage and reports the patient's clinical outcomes.

METHODS

A unilateral lumbar interbody fusion (ULIF) was performed via a trans-facet approach to extract the posterior lumbar interbody cage, thereby bypassing scar tissue from prior surgeries.

RESULTS

The patient's clinical symptoms improved significantly postoperatively, with no complications such as nerve injury or cerebrospinal fluid leakage. At the six-month postoperative follow-up, the patient's lumbar and leg VAS scores showed significant improvement, with no obvious signs of cage loosening observed.

CONCLUSION

UBE revision surgery may represent a safe and effective alternative for the removal of migrated posterior lumbar interbody cages.