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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

Sec. Biomechanics

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1623250

This article is part of the Research TopicApplication of Biomechanics in Diagnosis & Therapy of Skeletal System DiseasesView all 16 articles

A Novel Posterior Endoscopic Cervical Approach for Treating Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy: A Finite Element Analysis(C2-T1)

Provisionally accepted
Bo  LeiBo Lei1Chaofan  QinChaofan Qin1Si  ChengSi Cheng1Qingshuai  YuQingshuai Yu1Jiming  LiuJiming Liu2Xin  WangXin Wang1Tao  HuTao Hu1Ke  MaKe Ma1Yu  ChenYu Chen1Zhengjian  YanZhengjian Yan1*
  • 1Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
  • 2ChongQing Breif Technology Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Objective: This study aimed to preliminarily demonstrate the safety of a novel surgical approach and investigate the biomechanical effects of different surgical approaches on the cervical spine. Methods: A finite element model of an intact C2-T1 cervical spine was established. Different posterior endoscopic cervical discectomy (PECD) surgical approach models were constructed based on the intact model. The T1 inferior end was fully fixed, and a 100 N compressive load was applied to the odontoid process to simulate head weight. A 2.0 Nm moment was applied to the odontoid process in three anatomical planes to simulate flexion-extension, lateral bending toward the surgical side, and rotation toward the surgical side. The range of motion (ROM), C6 pedicle stress, C6 facet joint stress, and intervertebral disc stress were calculated under different loading conditions. Results: The finite element simulations revealed that:1. Conventional PECD resulted in ROM changes within 5%, while the novel approach led to ROM variations depending on bone tunnel preparation and motion type, with a maximum increase of 7.4%. 2. The novel approach altered C6 pedicle stress, with peak stress reaching 66.6 MPa (5.4 times the normal maximum), whereas conventional PECD had negligible effects on pedicle stress. 3. Conventional l PECD increased facet joint stress by up to 10.2%, whereas the novel approach changed it within 6.6%. 4. Both approaches caused less than a 5% change in intervertebral disc pressure. Conclusion: This study preliminarily demonstrates that the novel surgical approach is safe, with daily activity loads unlikely to cause fractures in the lateral mass or pedicle. Compared to the intact model, neither approach significantly affected cervical ROM or disc pressure. Additionally, the novel approach had a lesser impact on facet joints, suggesting it may be a potentially advantageous option for PECD. Based on pedicle stress and ROM changes, preserving the inferomedial quarter of the pedicle is beneficial, and minimizing structural disruption while effectively decompressing the nerve root should be prioritized.

Keywords: Finite Element Analysis, Biomechanics, Posterior endoscopic cervical discectomy, Radiculopathy, Safety

Received: 05 May 2025; Accepted: 30 Sep 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Lei, Qin, Cheng, Yu, Liu, Wang, Hu, Ma, Chen and Yan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Zhengjian Yan, yanzj@hospital.cqmu.edu.cn

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