Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27537586›Full record

SynthesisMedicine2016

Pedicle screw fixation combined with intermediate screw at the fracture level for treatment of thoracolumbar fractures: A meta-analysis.

Kunpeng Li, Wen Zhang, Dan Liu, Hui Xu, Wei Geng, Dawei Luo, Jinzhu Ma

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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

30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pedicle screw fixation of thoracolumbar fractures: conventional short segment versus short segment with intermediate screws at the fracture level-a systematic review and meta-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 · 2020
    Pooled it
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  8. Bone density as a risk of early loss of correction after percutaneous posterior spinal fixation for traumatic thoracolumbar fracture: a study on the usefulness of Hounsfield unit values on computed tomography scan.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 · 2025
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  10. Simulation and validation of spinal construct testing based on ASTM F1717.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025
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  14. [The effect of the sequence of intermediate instrumentation and distraction-reduction of the fractured vertebrae on the surgical treatment of mild to moderate thoracolumbar burst fractures].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2022
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  20. [Risk factors of recurrent kyphosis in thoracolumbar burst fracture patients treated by short segmental pedicle screw fixation].Beijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Peking University. Health sciences · 2020
    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

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Kunpeng LiDepartment of Orthopaedics Department of Ultrasonography, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng City Department of Orthopaedics, Caoxian People's Hospital, Heze City, Shandong Province, China.
Wen Zhang
Dan Liu
Hui Xu
Wei Geng
Dawei Luo
Jinzhu Ma
Liaocheng People's Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUse of a pedicle screw at the level of fracture, also known as an intermediate screw, has been shown to improve clinical results in managing thoracolumbar(TL) fractures, but there is a paucity of powerful evidence to support the claim. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes between pedicle screw fixation combined with intermediate screw at the fracture level and conventional pedicle screw fixation (one level above and one level below the fracture level) for thoracolumbar (TL) fractures.

methodsA meta-analysis of cohort studies was conducted between pedicle screw fixation combined with intermediate screw at the fracture level (combined screw group) and conventional pedicle screw fixation (conventional group) for the treatment of TL fractures from their inception to December 2015. An extensive search of studies was performed in PubMed, Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane library. The following outcome measures were extracted: visual analogue scale (VAS), operation time and intraoperative blood loss, Cobb angle and anterior vertebral height (AVH), and complications. Data analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.3.5.

resultsFrom 10 relevant studies identified, 283 patients undergoing pedicle screw fixation combined with intermediate screw at the fracture level were compared with 285 conventional pedicle screw procedures. The pooled analysis showed that there was statistically significant difference in terms of postoperative Cobb angle (95% confidence interval (CI), -3.00, -0.75; P = 0.001) and AVH (95% CI, 0.04, 12.23; P = 0.05), correction loss (Cobb angle: P < 0.0001; AVH: P < 0.0001) and implant failure rate (95% CI, 0.06, 0.62; P = 0.006), and blood loss (W 95% CI, 2.22, 23.60; P = 0.02) between 2 groups. But in terms of other complications, there were no differences between 2 groups (95% CI, 0.23, 2.04; P = 0.50). No difference was found in operation time (95% CI, -5.36, 14.67; P = 0.36) and VAS scores (95% CI, -0.44, 0.01; P = 0.06).

conclusionsThe combined screw fixation technique was associated with better reduction of the fractured vertebrae, less correction loss in the follow-up, and lower implant failure rate. Given the lack of robust clinical evidence, these findings warrant verification in large prospective registries and randomized trials with long-term follow-up.

Indexed as

Pedicle ScrewsBone ScrewsFracture Fixation, InternalHumansLumbar VertebraeSpinal FracturesThoracic VertebraeTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID27537586
PMCPMC5370812
OpenAlexW2513083956

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-ND
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.