Study on the anatomical application of spinal endoscopic technology in treating blood vessels adjacent to lumbar facet joints

Mingkui Shen^1*Yingying Miao²Leilei An²Bin Wang²

• ¹The Third People’s Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
• ²Sanquan Medical College, Xiangyang, Henan Province, China

Purpose: In-depth microscopic analysis of the blood vessels adjacent to the lumbar facet joints can significantly reduce surgical difficulty and risk, enhance hemostasis accuracy, and lower the rates of complications and disability.Methods: An anatomical study of human cadaver specimens was conducted to explore the relationship between the shape of blood vessels near the facet joints and the surrounding tissues. Ten recently obtained human cadaver specimens, both male and female, were examined. The tissues around the lumbar spine and facet joints were dissected to reveal the morphology, shape, and pattern of blood vessels and their relationship with adjacent tissues.Results: At the L3/4 segment, the distance between the cephalad vascular network of the superior articular process and the endoscopic working channel was 4.96 ± 0.46 mm in men and 4.47 ± 0.28 mm in women. At the L4/5 segment, the distance was 4.56 ± 0.45 mm in men and 4.22 ± 0.22 mm in women.At the L5/S1 segment, the distance was 5.85 ± 0.84 mm in men and 5.04 ± 0.40 mm in women. At the L3/4 segment, the distance between the vascular network in the lateral recess and the endoscopic working channel was 9.52 ± 0.59 mm in men and 8.77 ± 0.36 mm in women. At the L4/5 segment, the distance was 8.76 ± 0.71 mm in men and 7.8 ± 0.63 mm in women. At the L5/S1 segment, the distance was 8.36 ± 0.21 mm in men and 8.31 ± 0.84 mm in women.These data can assist surgeons in determining the appropriate puncture location and placement of the working channel, thereby establishing a safe puncture range. This approach can help reduce or prevent massive intraoperative bleeding and postoperative hematoma.