SynthesisJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2016
Wound drains in posterior spinal surgery: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06820736 (A Prospective, Randomized Comparison Of Drainage Techniques After One- Or Two-Level Open Posterior Lumbar Decompression Or Decompression And Fusion), which is not on this map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 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.
A Prospective, Randomized Comparison Of Drainage Techniques After One- Or Two-Level Open Posterior Lumbar Decompression Or Decompression And Fusion
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.
- The utility of surgical drains in adult and pediatric posterior spinal fusion: systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurosurgical review · 2024Pooled it
- Aspirin therapy discontinuation and intraoperative blood loss in spinal surgery: a systematic review.Neurosurgical review · 2018Pooled it
- Compression therapy following posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a prospective, randomized, clinical study.BMC surgery · 2019Trial
- Role of closed drain after multi-level posterior spinal surgery in adults: a randomised open-label superiority trial.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 · 2019Trial
- Is submuscular drainage mandatory for posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? A retrospective clinical study.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Is a wound drain needed routinely after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion?North American Spine Society journal · 2025Article
- Do drains alter the frequency of postoperative spinal epidural hematomas (SpEH) and surgical site infections (SSI) in predominantly lumbar spine surgery? Short review/perspective.Surgical neurology international · 2025Review
- Review
- Effect of Drain Duration and Output on Perioperative Outcomes and Readmissions after Lumbar Spine Surgery.Asian spine journal · 2023Article
- Negative versus natural drainage after single-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion. A prospective randomized study.Brain & spine · 2023Article
- Complications associated to wound drainages in tumor spine surgery: a multicenter surveillance study from the German Spine Registry (DWG-Register).Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Surgical Site Infection Prophylaxis and Wound Management in Spine Surgery.Asian spine journal · 2022Article
- Neuromodulation in the treatment of postoperative epidural fibrosis: comparison of the extent of epidural fibrosis and the effect of stimulation.Physiological research · 2021Observational
- Management of late-onset deep surgical site infection after instrumented spinal surgery.BMC surgery · 2018Article
- Causes and preventive measures of symptomatic spinal epidural haematoma after spinal surgery.International orthopaedics · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe use of drains following posterior spinal surgery is controversial. Thus, the aim of this meta-analysis was to review the advantages and adverse effects of closed suction drainage systems in posterior spinal surgery.
methodsAll randomized and non-randomized controlled trials comparing the use of closed suction drainage with no drainage in posterior spinal surgery were sought in PubMed, Medicine, Embase, and other Internet databases. All of the literature was searched and assessed by two independent reviewers, according to the standards of Cochrane systematic reviews. Data on functional and radiological outcomes in the two groups were pooled, which were then analyzed with RevMan software, version 5.2.
resultsFour randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and four non-RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis revealed that no significant differences were found regarding wound infection (P = 0.83), hematoma (P = 0.48), neurological injury (P = 0.21), estimated blood loss (P = 0.59), or dry and moderate dressing drainage between the groups. The number of patients with saturated dressings was larger in the no drainage group (P = 0.002).
conclusionsThere is no obvious evidence to support the application of closed suction drains for posterior spinal surgery. Because of the limited quality of the evidence currently available, more high-quality RCTs with better experimental designs and larger patient samples should be performed.
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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.