Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31974455›Full record

ReviewNature reviews. Neurology2020

Degenerative cervical myelopathy - update and future directions.

Jetan H Badhiwala, Christopher S Ahuja, Muhammad A Akbar, Christopher D Witiw, Farshad Nassiri, Julio C Furlan, Armin Curt, Jefferson R Wilson, Michael G Fehlings

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nature reviews. Neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 271 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
271citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

271 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Intraoperative neuromonitoring in degenerative cervical myelopathy surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy and postoperative neurological outcomes.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
    Pooled it
  2. Gait analysis methods in people with spinal cord injury: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026
    Pooled it
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  4. Efficacy and safety of laminoplasty combined with C3 laminectomy for patients with multilevel degenerative cervical myelopathy: 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 · 2024
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  15. The impact of operative level on reoperation rates and short-term patient-reported outcomes in 3-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.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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211 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

9 authors.

Jetan H BadhiwalaDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Christopher S AhujaDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Muhammad A AkbarDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Christopher D WitiwDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3999-7632
Farshad NassiriDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Julio C FurlanDivision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Lyndhurst Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Armin CurtSpinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
Jefferson R WilsonDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Michael G FehlingsDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. michael.fehlings@uhn.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5722-6364

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the leading cause of spinal cord dysfunction in adults worldwide. DCM encompasses various acquired (age-related) and congenital pathologies related to degeneration of the cervical spinal column, including hypertrophy and/or calcification of the ligaments, intervertebral discs and osseous tissues. These pathologies narrow the spinal canal, leading to chronic spinal cord compression and disability. Owing to the ageing population, rates of DCM are increasing. Expeditious diagnosis and treatment of DCM are needed to avoid permanent disability. Over the past 10 years, advances in basic science and in translational and clinical research have improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of DCM and helped delineate evidence-based practices for diagnosis and treatment. Surgical decompression is recommended for moderate and severe DCM; the best strategy for mild myelopathy remains unclear. Next-generation quantitative microstructural MRI and neurophysiological recordings promise to enable quantification of spinal cord tissue damage and help predict clinical outcomes. Here, we provide a comprehensive, evidence-based review of DCM, including its definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and non-operative and operative management. With this Review, we aim to equip physicians across broad disciplines with the knowledge necessary to make a timely diagnosis of DCM, recognize the clinical features that influence management and identify when urgent surgical intervention is warranted.

Indexed as

Cervical VertebraeHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingSpinal Cord CompressionSpinal Cord Diseases

Identifiers

PMID31974455

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.