Biportal endoscopic L7–S1 foraminotomy shows promise in dogs
CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: A new Veterinary Surgery paper describes a biportal endoscopic foraminotomy technique for decompressing the L7–S1 neuroforamen in dogs with lumbosacral foraminal stenosis, and reports better ex vivo foraminal enlargement and visualization than conventional open dorsolateral foraminotomy. In the cadaver comparison, the 3.0 mm arthroscope-based approach outperformed both open surgery and a smaller needle arthroscope approach, and the team also reported a successful first clinical use in a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog that had immediate resolution of clinical signs and remained symptom-free at 8 months. The work comes from investigators at the University of Zurich, the University of Bern, and Bessy’s Small Animal Clinic, and was published online March 12, 2026. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary surgeons and neurologists, the study adds to a fast-growing body of canine spine literature suggesting biportal endoscopy may make decompression more precise while reducing tissue disruption. That matters in lumbosacral foraminal disease, where access is challenging and nerve root manipulation can be a concern. It also fits a broader trend across species and spinal regions: recent canine work has found unilateral biportal endoscopic cervical laminectomy and facetectomy feasible ex vivo, with a Doberman wobbler case recovering to a normal neurologic exam by 6 months, while equine centers such as UC Davis are now offering minimally invasive endoscopic cervical foraminotomy for horses with nerve root compression, aided by large-bore CT imaging and reports of improvement within 24 hours in some patients. The findings are still early, though: this report combines cadaver work with a single clinical case, so the real test will be whether the technique proves reproducible, learnable, and durable across more live patients and centers. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: Watch for larger clinical case series, outcome data beyond 8 months, and whether referral centers begin adopting arthroscope-based biportal decompression for selected dogs with degenerative lumbosacral disease. More broadly, keep an eye on whether minimally invasive endoscopic approaches continue expanding into other veterinary niches, as seen in recent reports of cervical spine surgery and even a 5-minute endoscopic electrosurgical snare excision of a nasopharyngeal sialocele in a dog with no recurrence at 4 months. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)