Objective:

To compare the efficacy of one-hole split endoscopy (OSE) and unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

Approach:

• Study Design: Retrospective analysis of 101 LDH patients who underwent UBE or OSE surgery from January 2022 to January 2024.
• Patient Groups: 53 patients received UBE treatment, while the remaining patients received OSE treatment.
• Outcome Measures: Evaluated changes in Hb and Hct levels, incision length, total blood loss, surgical duration, hospital stay, complications, VAS for back and leg pain, ODI, and efficacy using modified MacNab criteria.

Key Findings:

• Postoperative Hb and Hct levels were significantly higher in the OSE group than in the UBE group (P < 0.05).
• Incision length and total blood loss were lower in the OSE group compared to the UBE group, but surgical time was longer in the OSE group (P < 0.05).
• No significant difference in postoperative complications or excellent rate after 12 months between the two groups (P > 0.05).
• Both groups showed a decrease in postoperative VAS and ODI scores (P < 0.05).

Interpretation:

OSE has comparable clinical efficacy to UBE in treating LDH.

Limitations:

• This was a non-randomized study.
• Patient allocation to OSE or UBE was based on the surgical procedure performed rather than random assignment.

Conclusion:

OSE is comparable to UBE in clinical efficacy for LDH treatment.