Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25430861›Full record

SynthesisAJNR. American journal of neuroradiology2015

Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations.

W Brinjikji, P H Luetmer, B Comstock, B W Bresnahan, L E Chen, R A Deyo, S Halabi, J A Turner, A L Avins, K James and 3 more

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 486 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
486citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
23.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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.

NCT06664931 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Muscle Energy Versus Mulligan Techniques in Treating Patients With Cervical Spondylosis

TypeinterventionalSponsorCairo UniversityRan2024 to 2025Enrolled40ConditionsCervical Spondylosis, Mulligan Mobilization, SNAGs, Muscle Energy TechniqueArmsGroup (A) Muscle Energy Technique (MET), Group (B) Mulligan Mobilizations Techniques (MMT).
NCT07583368 completednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Chronic Pain, Emotions and Professional Football

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorEvidence In MotionRan2025 to 2026Enrolled32ConditionsChronic Pain, Chronic Pain (Back / Neck)ArmsNo Intervention: Observational Cohort
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

486 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 1,133 citations in OpenAlex.

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  15. Digital twin validation and predictive value of delta radiomics based on tabular transformer for synergistic muscle imbalance in lumbar disc degeneration.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 · 2026
    Article
  16. Review
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  18. The utility of patient symptom questionnaires in CT of the lumbosacral spine.Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2026
    Article
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  20. Article

426 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

13 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

W BrinjikjiFrom the Department of Radiology (W.B., P.H.L., J.T.W., D.F.K.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
P H LuetmerFrom the Department of Radiology (W.B., P.H.L., J.T.W., D.F.K.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota luetmer.patrick@mayo.edu.
B ComstockDepartments of Biostatistics (B.C.) Radiology (B.C., B.W.B., L.E.C., K.J., J.G.J.).
B W BresnahanRadiology (B.C., B.W.B., L.E.C., K.J., J.G.J.).
L E ChenRadiology (B.C., B.W.B., L.E.C., K.J., J.G.J.).
R A DeyoDepartments of Family Medicine, Medicine, and Public Health and Preventive Medicine and the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences (R.A.D.), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.
S HalabiDepartment of Radiology (S.H.), Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.
J A TurnerPsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (J.A.T.).
A L AvinsDepartment of Radiology (A.L.A.), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California Division of Research (A.L.A.), Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, Oakland, California.
K JamesRadiology (B.C., B.W.B., L.E.C., K.J., J.G.J.).
J T WaldFrom the Department of Radiology (W.B., P.H.L., J.T.W., D.F.K.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
D F KallmesFrom the Department of Radiology (W.B., P.H.L., J.T.W., D.F.K.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
J G JarvikRadiology (B.C., B.W.B., L.E.C., K.J., J.G.J.) Neurological Surgery and Health Services (J.G.J.), Comparative Effectiveness Cost and Outcomes Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Mayo Clinic · USHenry Ford Hospital · USOregon Health & Science University · USUniversity of California, San Francisco · USUniversity of Washington · USWinnMed · US

Funding

A Pragmatic Trial of Lumbar Image Reporting with Epidemiology (LIRE)UH3AR066795 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI JARVIK, JEFFREY G · 2014 to 2017
$6.0M
NIAMS NIH HHS 4UH3AR066795-02NIAMS NIH HHS UH3 AR066795
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeDegenerative changes are commonly found in spine imaging but often occur in pain-free individuals as well as those with back pain. We sought to estimate the prevalence, by age, of common degenerative spine conditions by performing a systematic review studying the prevalence of spine degeneration on imaging in asymptomatic individuals. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe performed a systematic review of articles reporting the prevalence of imaging findings (CT or MR imaging) in asymptomatic individuals from published English literature through April 2014. Two reviewers evaluated each manuscript. We selected age groupings by decade (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 years), determining age-specific prevalence estimates. For each imaging finding, we fit a generalized linear mixed-effects model for the age-specific prevalence estimate clustering in the study, adjusting for the midpoint of the reported age interval.

resultsThirty-three articles reporting imaging findings for 3110 asymptomatic individuals met our study inclusion criteria. The prevalence of disk degeneration in asymptomatic individuals increased from 37% of 20-year-old individuals to 96% of 80-year-old individuals. Disk bulge prevalence increased from 30% of those 20 years of age to 84% of those 80 years of age. Disk protrusion prevalence increased from 29% of those 20 years of age to 43% of those 80 years of age. The prevalence of annular fissure increased from 19% of those 20 years of age to 29% of those 80 years of age.

conclusionsImaging findings of spine degeneration are present in high proportions of asymptomatic individuals, increasing with age. Many imaging-based degenerative features are likely part of normal aging and unassociated with pain. These imaging findings must be interpreted in the context of the patient's clinical condition.

Indexed as

AgingBack PainFemaleHumansIntervertebral Disc DegenerationMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceTomography, X-Ray Computed

Identifiers

PMID25430861
PMCPMC4464797
OpenAlexW2141841210

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

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.