Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32707013›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2020

Long-Term Radiographic and Functional Outcomes of Patients With Absence of Radiographic Union at 2 Years After Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Christopher J Lee, Barrett S Boody, Jaclyn Demeter, Joseph D Smucker, Rick C Sasso

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global spine journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Values derived from patient reported outcomes in spine surgery: a systematic review of the minimal clinically important difference, substantial clinical benefit, and patient acceptable symptom state.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 · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. 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

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Christopher J LeeIndiana Spine Group, Carmel, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2952-9202
Barrett S BoodyIndiana Spine Group, Carmel, IN, USA.
Jaclyn DemeterIndiana Spine Group, Carmel, IN, USA.
Joseph D SmuckerIndiana Spine Group, Carmel, IN, USA.
Rick C SassoIndiana Spine Group, Carmel, IN, USA.
Indiana Spine Group · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective radiographic investigation.

objectiveTo evaluate the long-term radiographic and functional outcomes of patients in whom there is absence of radiographic union at 2 years after single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

methodsThirty-one patients were evaluated at standard postoperative time intervals per index trial protocol. Plain film radiographic fusion criteria at the arthrodesis level was defined as interspinous motion (ISM) <1 mm with corresponding motion at a non-arthrodesed superjacent level ISM ≥4 mm. Radiographs and functional outcome measures were acquired at each follow-up visit. Delayed union was defined as lack of radiographic union by 24 months.

resultsNine patients demonstrated radiographic evidence of delayed radiographic union at 24 months. Of those 9 patients, 5 patients demonstrated evidence of union during the follow-up period to 72 months. Despite the absence of radiographic union based on our criteria, 3 of the 4 remaining patients reported remarkable improvements in pain scores and functional outcomes.

conclusionsThe natural history of delayed union at 24 months after ACDF was still favorable despite the prolonged delay in union. The majority of patients (5 of 9) without radiographic union at 24 months did proceed to radiographic union by final follow-up. In addition, patients that did not meet our criteria for fusion maintained postoperative improvements in patient-reported outcome scores. In summary, our study patients undergoing a single-level ACDF with asymptomatic radiographic delayed union at 24 months can expect maintained improvements in postoperative patient-reported outcomes scores and can still progress to successful radiographic fusion.

Indexed as

ACDFarthrodesiscervicaldiscectomypseudarthrosisradiculopathyreoperationspondylosis

Identifiers

PMID32707013
PMCPMC7383798
OpenAlexW2974652350

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-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.