SynthesisEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2013
Surgery versus conservative care for neck pain: a systematic review.
Synthesis in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06663592 (Effectiveness of Slider and Tensioner Neurodynamic Mobilization Techniques in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy), which is not on this map. Cited by 19 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Effectiveness of Slider and Tensioner Neurodynamic Mobilization Techniques in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nonsurgical versus surgical treatment for cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2026Pooled it
- Does manual therapy meaningfully change quantitative sensory testing and patient reported outcome measures in patients with musculoskeletal impairments related to the spine?: A 'trustworthy' systematic review and meta-analysis.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2024Pooled it
- Quality assessment of systematic reviews of surgical treatment of cervical spine degenerative diseases: an overview.Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2022Pooled it
- What is success of treatment? Expected outcome scores in cervical radiculopathy patients were much higher than the previously reported cut-off values for success.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2022Trial
- A randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of surgical and nonsurgical treatment for cervical radiculopathy.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2020Trial
- Neck-specific training with a cognitive behavioural approach compared with prescribed physical activity in patients with cervical radiculopathy: a protocol of a prospective randomised clinical trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2014Trial
- Outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for presumed segmental dysfunction-related neck pain: a Swedish nationwide registry study.Acta neurochirurgica · 2026Observational
- Efficacity of CT-guided intra-articular cervical facet steroid injection for cervical radiculopathy.Research in diagnostic and interventional imaging · 2024Article
- Real-Time Ultrasound-Guided CT-Monitored Percutaneous Cervical Disc Injection: An Emerging Approach for Accurate Diagnosis of Cervical Discogenic Diseases.Journal of pain research · 2024Article
- Effect of exercise therapy in patients with hip osteoarthritis: A systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2023Review
- Health Care Resource Utilization in Management of Opioid-Naive Patients With Newly Diagnosed Neck Pain.JAMA network open · 2022Article
- Article
- Value of Surgery and Nonsurgical Approaches for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: WFNS Spine Committee Recommendations.Neurospine · 2019Article
- Early surgical correction of cervical disc herniation might avoid complications associated with opioid-based pain management: A case report.Surgical neurology international · 2019Article
- Acupotomy Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2017Review
- Percutaneous cervical laser diskectomy, thermoannuloplasty, and thermonucleoplasty; comparable results without surgery.Surgical neurology international · 2017Article
- Effectiveness of manual therapy for cervical radiculopathy, a review.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2016Review
- Neck pain with radiculopathy.BMJ clinical evidence · 2015Article
- The Michel Benoist and Robert Mulholland Yearly European Spine Journal Review: a survey of the "medical" articles in the European Spine Journal, 2013.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2014Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveGeneral practitioners refer patients with continued neck pain that do not respond well to conservative care frequently to secondary care for further assessment. Are surgical interventions to the cervical spine effective when compared to conservative care for patients with neck pain?
designSystematic review.
methodThe search strategy outlined by the Cochrane Back Review Group (CBRG) was followed. The primary search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and PEDro up to June 2011. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) of adults with neck pain, which evaluated at least one clinically relevant primary outcome measure (e.g. pain, functional status, recovery), were included. In addition, treatments had to include surgery and conservative care. Two authors independently assessed risk of bias using the criteria recommended by the CBRG and extracted the data. The quality of the evidence was rated using the GRADE method.
resultsPatients included had neck pain with or without radiculopathy or myelopathy. In total, three RCTs and six CCTs were identified comparing different surgical interventions with conservative care, of which one had a low risk of bias. Overall there is very low quality of evidence available on the effectiveness of surgery compared to conservative care in neck pain patients showing overall no differences.
conclusionMost studies on surgical techniques comparing these to conservative care showed a high risk of bias. The benefit of surgery over conservative care is not clearly demonstrated.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.