Evidence map›Paper›PMID 20058001›Full record

ArticleNeuroradiology2010

MRI of the transverse and alar ligaments in rheumatoid arthritis: feasibility and relations to atlantoaxial subluxation and disease activity.

Nils Vetti, Rikke Alsing, Jostein Kråkenes, Jarle Rørvik, Nils Erik Gilhus, Johan Gorgas Brun, Ansgar Espeland

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Article in Neuroradiology, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Nils VettiDepartment of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, 5021, Norway. nils.vetti@helse-bergen.no
Rikke Alsing
Jostein Kråkenes
Jarle Rørvik
Nils Erik Gilhus
Johan Gorgas Brun
Ansgar Espeland
University of Bergen · NOHaukeland University Hospital · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDysfunctional transverse and alar craniovertebral ligaments can cause instability and osseous destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study examined (1) the feasibility of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of these ligaments in RA and (2) the relation between ligament high-signal changes and atlantoaxial subluxation and RA duration/severity.

methodsConsecutive RA patients (n=46) underwent clinical examination, functional radiography, and high-resolution MRI. Two blinded radiologists rated MRI image quality, graded ligament high-signal changes 0-3 on proton-weighted sequences using an existing grading system, and assessed cervical spine rheumatic changes on short tau inversion recovery images. Agreement was analyzed using kappa and relations using multiple logistic regression.

resultsMRI images had good quality in 42 (91.3%) of 46 patients and were interpretable in 44 (32 women and 12 men, median age/disease duration 60.4/9.1 years). MRI grades 2-3 changes of the transverse and alar ligaments showed moderate and good interobserver agreement (kappa 0.59 and 0.78), respectively, and prevalence 31.8% and 34.1%. Such ligament changes were more frequent with increasing anterior atlantoaxial subluxation (p=0.012 transverse, p=0.028 alar), higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p=0.003 transverse), positive rheumatoid factor (p=0.002 alar), and neck pain (p=0.004 alar).

conclusionThis first study of high-resolution MRI of these ligaments in RA showed high feasibility and relations with atlantoaxial subluxation, RA disease activity, and neck pain. The clinical usefulness of such MRI needs further evaluation.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overArthritis, RheumatoidFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansLigamentsLogistic ModelsMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedNeck PainRadiographySeverity of Illness IndexTime Factors

Identifiers

PMID20058001
OpenAlexW1999391377

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.