Abstract:Objective To analyze the efficacy and safety of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy with trepan in the treatment of L5-S1 disc herniation.Methods The 80 patients with L5-S1 disc herniation admitted to Bozhou People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected, and they were divided into study group and control group by the random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy. The study group was treated with trepans, while the control group was treated with bone drills. All the patients were followed up for 6 months after the surgery. The operation-associated conditions, pain and lumbar dysfunction, as well as the surgical outcome, imaging findings of the affected segments and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results Compared with the control group, the duration of approach establishment and that of operation were shorter, the time of fluoroscopy was fewer, and the amount of bone removal of the superior articular process was higher in the study group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the duration of endoscopic operation and intraoperative blood loss between the two groups (P> 0.05). The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores before and 7 days, 1 month and 3 months after the operation in the two groups were compared via repeated measures analysis of variance, and the results exhibited that the VAS scores were different among the time points, and those after the operation were all lower than those before the operation (P < 0.05). There was no difference in VAS scores or the change trends of VAS scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores before and 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after the operation were compared via repeated measures analysis of variance. The JOA and ODI scores were demonstrated to be different among the time points, where JOA scores after the operation were all higher than those before the operation while ODI scores after the operation were all lower than those before the operation (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the JOA and ODI scores and the change trends thereof between the two groups (P > 0.05). The overall good and excellent therapeutic efficacy rates were not different between the two groups (P> 0.05). The horizontal dislocation and angular dislocation before and 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after the operation were also compared via repeated measures analysis of variance, the results revealed that the horizontal dislocation and angular dislocation were not different among the time points and between the two groups (P > 0.05), and that the change trends of the horizontal dislocation and angular dislocation were not different between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no difference in the overall incidence of complications between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusions Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy with trepan is safe and effective for the treatment of L5-S1 disc herniation, and has the advantages of shorter durations of approach establishment and operation and fewer times of fluoroscopy.