Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29713768›Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2018

Is it painful to be different? Sciatic nerve anatomical variants on MRI and their relationship to piriformis syndrome.

Adam L Bartret, Christopher F Beaulieu, Amelie M Lutz

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In one paragraph

Article in European radiology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.9field-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

15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.

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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.

Adam L BartretDepartment of Radiology, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. bartret@stanford.edu.
Christopher F BeaulieuDepartment of Radiology, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Amelie M LutzDepartment of Radiology, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
Stanford University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo investigate the purported relationship between sciatic nerve variant anatomy and piriformis syndrome.

methodsOver 49 months, 1039 consecutive noncontrast adult hip MRIs were completed for various clinical indications. Repeat and technically insufficient studies were excluded. Radiologists categorized sciatic nerve anatomy into Beaton and Anson anatomical types. Chart review using our institution's cohort search and navigation tool determined the prevalence of the explicit clinical diagnosis of piriformis syndrome (primary endpoint) and sciatica and buttock pain (secondary endpoints). A Z-test compared the prevalence of each diagnosis in the variant anatomy and normal groups.

resultsSeven hundred eighty-three studies were included, with sciatic nerve variants present in 150 hips (19.2%). None of the diagnoses had a statistically significant difference in prevalence between the variant and normal hip groups. Specifically, piriformis syndrome was present in 11.3% of variant hips compared with 9.0% of normal hips (p = 0.39).

conclusionsThere were no significant differences in the prevalence of piriformis syndrome, buttock pain, or sciatica between normal and variant sciatic nerve anatomy. This large-scale correlative radiologic study into the relationship between sciatic nerve variants and piriformis syndrome calls into question this purported relationship. KEY POINTS: • Large retrospective study relating variant sciatic nerve anatomy, present in 19.2% of hip MRIs, and piriformis syndrome • While sciatic nerve variant anatomy has previously been implicated in piriformis syndrome in small studies, no relationship was identified between sciatic nerve variants and piriformis syndrome.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedPainPain MeasurementPiriformis Muscle SyndromePrevalenceRetrospective StudiesSciatic NerveUnited StatesCross-sectional anatomyMagnetic resonance imagingPeripheral nervesPiriformis muscle syndromeSciatic neuropathy

Identifiers

PMID29713768
OpenAlexW2802646946

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.