Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32524168›Full record

ArticleSkeletal radiology2020

Differentiating epidural fibrosis from disc herniation on contrast-enhanced and unenhanced MRI in the postoperative lumbar spine.

Zita Passavanti, Sebastian Leschka, Simon Wildermuth, Thomas Forster, Tobias Johannes Dietrich

Abstract read
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Article in Skeletal radiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 27% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Interpreting acute postoperative MRI after lumbar spinal fusion: a practical framework for clinical decision-making.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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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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Zita PassavantiDivision of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 95, CH 9007, St. Gallen, Switzerland. Zita.Passavanti@kssg.ch.
Sebastian LeschkaDivision of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 95, CH 9007, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Simon WildermuthDivision of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 95, CH 9007, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Thomas ForsterFaculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Pestalozzistrasse 3, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
Tobias Johannes DietrichDivision of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 95, CH 9007, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Kantonsspital St. Gallen · CHUniversity of Zurich · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine diagnostic confidence and inter-observer/intra-observer agreement in differentiating epidural fibrosis from disc herniation and lumbar spinal stenosis parameters on magnetic resonance images (MRI) in postoperative lumbar spines with (Gad-MRI) and without (unenhanced MRI) intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agent. SUBJECTS AND

methodsN = 124 lumbar spine MRI examinations of four groups were included: 1-6 months, 7-18 months, 19-36 months, more than 37 months between lumbar spine surgery and imaging. Two radiologists evaluated Gad-MRI and unenhanced MRI: diagnostic confidence was determined as confident or unconfident. Inter-observer and intra-observer agreement were assessed in differentiating epidural fibrosis from disc herniation and for lumbar spinal stenosis parameters on MRI. Fisher's exact test and Cohen's kappa served for statistics.

resultsDiagnostic confidence in differentiating epidural fibrosis from disc herniation was significantly higher on Gad-MR images compared with unenhanced MRI at 1-18 months for observer 1 and at 1-6 months postoperatively for observer 2 (p values: 0.01-0.025). Inter-observer agreement at 1-6 months postoperatively for identification of epidural fibrosis was higher on Gad-MRI (kappa values: 0.53 versus 0.24). Inter-observer and intra-observer agreement for identification of disc herniation and for assessment of lumbar spinal stenosis parameters revealed inconsistent data, without a trend for higher inter-observer or intra-observer agreement on Gad-MRI compared with unenhanced MRI (kappa values: 0.17-0.75).

conclusionGad-MR images compared with unenhanced MRI improved diagnostic confidence and agreement in differentiating epidural fibrosis from disc herniation for both observers in the first 6 months and for one observer in the first 18 months after lumbar spine surgery. After 18 months, Gad-MR images compared with unenhanced MRI did neither improve confidence nor agreement.

Indexed as

Intervertebral Disc DisplacementMagnetic Resonance ImagingFibrosisHumansLumbar VertebraeObserver VariationEpidural fibrosisGadolinium-based contrast agentLumbar spinal stenosisMagnetic resonance imagingPostoperative

Identifiers

PMID32524168
OpenAlexW3033821880

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.