Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24637890›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2014

Influence of low back pain and prognostic value of MRI in sciatica patients in relation to back pain.

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

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2014. 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 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 20% 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.

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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. 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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Abdelilah el BarzouhiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Carmen L A M Vleggeert-LankampDepartment of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Geert J Lycklama à NijeholtDepartment of Radiology, Medical Center Haaglanden, the Hague, the Netherlands.
Bas F Van der KallenDepartment of Radiology, Medical Center Haaglanden, the Hague, the Netherlands.
Wilbert B van den HoutDepartment of Medical Decision Making, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Bart W KoesDepartment of General Practice, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Wilco C PeulDepartment of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Center Haaglanden, the Hague, the Netherlands.
Leiden–The Hague Spine Intervention Prognostic Study Group
Leiden University Medical Center · NLMedisch Centrum Haaglanden · NLErasmus MC · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with sciatica frequently complain about associated back pain. It is not known whether there are prognostic relevant differences in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings between sciatica patients with and without disabling back pain.

methodsThe study population contained patients with sciatica who underwent a baseline MRI to assess eligibility for a randomized trial designed to compare the efficacy of early surgery with prolonged conservative care for sciatica. Two neuroradiologists and one neurosurgeon independently evaluated all MR images. The MRI readers were blinded to symptom status. The MRI findings were compared between sciatica patients with and without disabling back pain. The presence of disabling back pain at baseline was correlated with perceived recovery at one year.

resultsOf 379 included sciatica patients, 158 (42%) had disabling back pain. Of the patients with both sciatica and disabling back pain 68% did reveal a herniated disc with nerve root compression on MRI, compared to 88% of patients with predominantly sciatica (P<0.001). The existence of disabling back pain in sciatica at baseline was negatively associated with perceived recovery at one year (Odds ratio [OR] 0.32, 95% Confidence Interval 0.18-0.56, P<0.001). Sciatica patients with disabling back pain in absence of nerve root compression on MRI at baseline reported less perceived recovery at one year compared to those with predominantly sciatica and nerve root compression on MRI (50% vs 91%, P<0.001).

conclusionSciatica patients with disabling low back pain reported an unfavorable outcome at one-year follow-up compared to those with predominantly sciatica. If additionally a clear herniated disc with nerve root compression on MRI was absent, the results were even worse.

Indexed as

Magnetic Resonance ImagingAdultFemaleHumansLow Back PainMaleMiddle AgedPersons with DisabilitiesPrognosisRisk FactorsSciaticaTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID24637890
PMCPMC3956604
OpenAlexW1967427568

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.