Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26033987›Full record

ReviewOrthopaedic surgery2015

Progress on clinical characteristics and identification of location of thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum.

Fa-bo Feng, Chui-guo Sun, Zhong-qiang Chen

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Orthopaedic surgery, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.7field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

42 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of thoracic spinal stenosis: a systematic review.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 · 2020
    Pooled it
  2. Biomechanical comparison of laminoplasty and in-site regrafting versus laminectomy with pedicle screw fixation for localized thoracic pathological ossification of the ligamentum flavum: a finite element analysis.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
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  12. [Application of unilateral biportal endoscopy technique in single-segment thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2023
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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

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Fa-bo FengDepartment of Orthopaedics, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Chui-guo SunDepartment of Orthopaedics, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Zhong-qiang ChenDepartment of Orthopaedics, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Peking University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF) is the most common cause for thoracic spinal stenosis. TOLF is usually complicated by thoracic disc herniation, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and degenerative spinal diseases such as cervical spondylosis and lumbar spinal stenosis, and the ossification also usually has a discontinuous or continuous multi-segment distribution. The resultant superposition of several symptoms makes the clinical manifestations complex. Currently, the diagnosis of TOLF depends mainly on the patient's symptoms, physical examination and thoracic CT and MRI examinations. Identification of the location of TOLF depends more on the doctor's subjective judgement. Diagnostic problems are related to the specific region and level of surgical decompression: if the extent of decompression is insufficient, the treatment is inadequate, resulting in residual symptoms. Obversely, unnecessary trauma and a various complications will occur if the decompression is too extensive. Hence, the clinical features and process of diagnosis, especially the means of identifying the location, still require further improvement. It is necessary to establish a simple and accurate means of identifying the segment of TOLF that is responsible for the neurologic deficit: a number of spinal surgeons have been working hard on this. This article will provided an overview of the clinical features of TOLF and the related problems of clinical identification of the location of the segment causing the neurological deficit. The relationship between the imaging manifestations and clinical characteristics still need to be explored with the aim of establishing a simple and precise method for determining precisely whether TOLF is related to spinal cord injury or not, thus reducing surgical trauma and achieving an optimal prognosis.

Indexed as

Thoracic VertebraeHumansLigamentum FlavumOssification, HeterotopicSpinal StenosisClinical featuresIdentification of locationThoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum

Identifiers

PMID26033987
PMCPMC6583125
OpenAlexW1526240482

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.