Endoscopic Spine Surgery: Evidence Maturity and the Path Forward in the United States.

Authors

Matthew T Kim, Seungjun Lee, Graham S Goh, Don Y Park, Samuel K Cho, Jin-Sung Kim, Junseok Bae

Published in

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume. Oct 09, 2026. Epub Oct 09, 2026.

Abstract

➢ As has been shown by higher-level evidence, endoscopic spine surgery (ESS) provides clinical outcomes comparable with those of microscopic and tubular techniques for lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis.➢ The cervical and thoracic ESS evidence base has been limited, with a lack of contemporary multicenter randomized trials and overreliance on single-center retrospective data.➢ U.S. adoption has been constrained by a steep learning curve, limited training pathways, and reimbursement challenges, despite increasing interest and fellowship exposure.➢ The economic viability of ESS is facility-dependent, with higher disposable costs possibly offset by reduced hospital resource utilization. Migration of spine surgery into ambulatory surgery centers may also create additional opportunities for ESS adoption.➢ Broader U.S. integration will require standardized training, multi-institutional outcome registries, and alignment with value-based payment models, such as the 2026 Medicare Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) program.

PMID:
42853960
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Oct 2026.

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