Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27864682›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2017

Posterior implant removal in patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures: long-term results.

A J Smits, L den Ouden, A Jonkergouw, J Deunk, F W Bloemers

Erratum issuedOpen access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in 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, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 22 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 21% 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

22 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Open versus percutaneous short-segment posterior instrumentation in thoracolumbar junction burst fractures.Ulusal travma ve acil cerrahi dergisi = Turkish journal of trauma & emergency surgery : TJTES · 2025
    Article
  3. Anterior column reconstruction with mono-segmental fusion and lag screw fixation of sagittal split for burst-split fracture of the thoracolumbar spine.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Thoracolumbar injuries: operative treatment: indications, techniques, timing and implant removal. Current practice.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2024
    Review
  6. ESTES recommendation on thoracolumbar spine fractures : January 2023.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2024
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Risk factors for kyphosis recurrence after implant removal in percutaneous osteosynthesis for post-traumatic thoracolumbar fracture.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 · 2024
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Surgical Site Infection Management following Spinal Instrumentation Surgery: Implant Removal vs. Implant Retention: an Updated Systematical Review.Acta informatica medica : AIM : journal of the Society for Medical Informatics of Bosnia & Herzegovina : casopis Drustva za medicinsku informatiku BiH · 2022
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

A J SmitsDepartment of Traumasurgery, VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1117, room 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. aj.smits@vumc.nl.
L den OudenDepartment of Traumasurgery, VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1117, room 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
A JonkergouwDepartment of Traumasurgery, VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1117, room 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
J DeunkDepartment of Traumasurgery, VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1117, room 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
F W BloemersDepartment of Traumasurgery, VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1117, room 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDebate remains whether posterior implants after thoracolumbar spine fracture stabilization should be removed routinely or only in symptomatic cases. Implant related problems might be resolved or even prevented but removal includes secondary risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety, patient satisfaction and quality of life after implant removal.

methodsA retrospective cohort study was performed concerning 102 patients that underwent posterior implant removal after stabilization of a traumatic thoracolumbar fracture between 2003 and 2015. Patients were invited to fill in SF-36, EQ-5D and RMDQ questionnaires after implant removal. Additionally, questions concerning satisfaction were presented. Cobb angles before and after removal were measured and in- or decrease of symptoms was gathered from hospital charts.

resultsMean age at removal was 38 years and time from implant removal to questionnaire was approximately 7 years, 62 patients filled in the questionnaires. Complications were present in 8% and quality of life was reported as fairly good. Patients had less back pain related disability compared to chronic low back pain patients. After removal there was a kyphosis increase which did not correspond with worsened clinical outcome. Removal decreased most symptoms and even asymptomatic patients reported benefit in most cases. An increase of symptoms after removal was reported in 11% of patients.

conclusionImplant removal is generally safe and provides high patient satisfaction. Overall, patients have a fairly good quality of life. Most symptomatic and asymptomatic patients report benefit from removal. However, low risks of complications and increase of symptoms have to be weighted for individual patients.

Indexed as

Device RemovalLumbar VertebraeThoracic VertebraeAdultHumansKyphosisMiddle AgedQuality of LifeRetrospective StudiesSpinal FracturesSurveys and QuestionnairesImplant removalPosterior implantQuality of lifeThoracolumbar fracture

Identifiers

PMID27864682
OpenAlexW2553818451

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.