Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23874616›Full record

ArticlePloS one2013

Magnetic resonance imaging interpretation in patients with sciatica who are potential candidates for lumbar disc surgery.

Abdelilah El Barzouhi, Carmen L A M Vleggeert-Lankamp, Geert J Lycklama À Nijeholt, Bas F Van der Kallen, Wilbert B van den Hout, Annemieke J H Verwoerd, Bart W Koes, Wilco C Peul, Leiden–The Hague Spine Intervention Prognostic Study Group

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03924791 (Transforaminal Epidural Injection in Acute Sciatica), which is not on this map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT03924791 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2019, after this paper: background citation

Transforaminal Epidural Injection in Acute Sciatica

TypeinterventionalSponsorC.L.A.Vleggeert-LankampRan2019 to 2026Enrolled142ConditionsSciatica, Sciatica Due to Intervertebral Disc Disorder, Sciatic RadiculopathyArmsLidocaine, Methylprednisolone Acetate, Dexamethasone
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Observational
  7. Disc inflammation and Modic changes show an interaction effect on recovery after surgery for lumbar disc herniation.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 · 2019
    Article
  8. A diagnostic study in patients with sciatica establishing the importance of localization of worsening of pain during coughing, sneezing and straining to assess nerve root compression on MRI.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 · 2016
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

9 authors.

Abdelilah El BarzouhiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. A.el_barzouhi@lumc.nl
Carmen L A M Vleggeert-Lankamp
Geert J Lycklama À Nijeholt
Bas F Van der Kallen
Wilbert B van den Hout
Annemieke J H Verwoerd
Bart W Koes
Wilco C Peul
Leiden–The Hague Spine Intervention Prognostic Study Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is considered the mainstay imaging investigation in patients suspected of lumbar disc herniations. Both imaging and clinical findings determine the final decision of surgery. The objective of this study was to assess MRI observer variation in patients with sciatica who are potential candidates for lumbar disc surgery.

methodsPatients for this study were potential candidates (n = 395) for lumbar disc surgery who underwent MRI to assess eligibility for a randomized trial. Two neuroradiologists and one neurosurgeon independently evaluated all MRIs. A four point scale was used for both probability of disc herniation and root compression, ranging from definitely present to definitely absent. Multiple characteristics of the degenerated disc herniation were scored. For inter-agreement analysis absolute agreements and kappa coefficients were used. Kappa coefficients were categorized as poor (<0.00), slight (0.00-0.20), fair (0.21-0.40), moderate (0.41-0.60), substantial (0.61-0.80) and excellent (0.81-1.00) agreement.

resultsExcellent agreement was found on the affected disc level (kappa range 0.81-0.86) and the nerve root that most likely caused the sciatic symptoms (kappa range 0.86-0.89). Interobserver agreement was moderate to substantial for the probability of disc herniation (kappa range 0.57-0.77) and the probability of nerve root compression (kappa range 0.42-0.69). Absolute pairwise agreement among the readers ranged from 90-94% regarding the question whether the probability of disc herniation on MRI was above or below 50%. Generally, moderate agreement was observed regarding the characteristics of the symptomatic disc level and of the herniated disc.

conclusionThe observer variation of MRI interpretation in potential candidates for lumbar disc surgery is satisfactory regarding characteristics most important in decision for surgery. However, there is considerable variation between observers in specific characteristics of the symptomatic disc level and herniated disc.

Indexed as

Magnetic Resonance ImagingObserver VariationAdultDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansIntervertebral Disc DisplacementLumbar VertebraeMaleMiddle AgedPatient SelectionRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSciatica

Identifiers

PMID23874616
PMCPMC3707920

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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.