Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33025192›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 Society2021

Radiographic cervical spine degenerative findings: a study on a large population from age 18 to 97 years.

Youping Tao, Fabio Galbusera, Frank Niemeyer, Dino Samartzis, Daniel Vogele, Hans-Joachim Wilke

Open access · hybridAbstract read
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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, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.2field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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

30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Predictors of surgical site infection after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in a national administrative database.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
    Article
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  8. Intervertebral disc degeneration.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
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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

6 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Youping TaoInstitute of Orthopaedic Research and Biomechanics, Trauma Research Center Ulm, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm University, Helmholtzstrasse 14, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Fabio GalbuseraIRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
Frank NiemeyerInstitute of Orthopaedic Research and Biomechanics, Trauma Research Center Ulm, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm University, Helmholtzstrasse 14, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Dino SamartzisDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, RUSH University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Daniel VogeleDepartment Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Hans-Joachim WilkeInstitute of Orthopaedic Research and Biomechanics, Trauma Research Center Ulm, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm University, Helmholtzstrasse 14, 89081, Ulm, Germany. hans-joachim.wilke@uni-ulm.de.ORCID 0000-0001-6007-8844
University Hospital Ulm · DEHelmholtz-Institute Ulm · DEIstituto Ortopedico Galeazzi · ITRush University Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe aims of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of radiographic cervical disc degeneration in a large population of patients aged from 18 to 97 years; (2) to investigate individually the prevalence and distribution of height loss, osteophyte formation, endplate sclerosis and spondylolisthesis; and (3) to describe the patterns of cervical disc degeneration.

methodsA retrospective study was performed. Standard lateral cervical spine radiographs in standing, neutral position of 1581 consecutive patients (723 males, 858 females) with an average age of 41.2 ± 18.2 years were evaluated. Cervical disc degeneration was graded from C2/C3 to C6/C7 based on a validated quantitative grading system. The prevalence and distribution of radiographic findings were evaluated and associations with age were investigated.

results53.9% of individuals had radiographic disc degeneration and the most affected level was C5/C6. The presence and severity of disc degeneration were found to be significantly associated with age both in male and female subjects. The most frequent and severe occurrences of height loss, osteophyte formation, and endplate sclerosis were at C5/C6, whereas spondylolisthesis was most observed at C4/C5. Age was significantly correlated with radiographic degenerative findings. Contiguous levels degeneration pattern was more likely found than skipped level degeneration. The number of degenerated levels was also associated with age.

conclusionsThe presence and severity of radiographic disc degeneration increased with aging in the cervical spine. Older age was associated with greater number of degenerated disc levels. Furthermore, the correlations between age and the degree of degenerative findings were stronger at C5/C6 and C6/C7 than at other cervical spinal levels.

Indexed as

Intervertebral Disc DegenerationOsteoarthritis, SpineSpondylolisthesisAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCervical VertebraeFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesYoung AdultCervicalDisc degenerationEndplatePatternsPhenotypesPlain radiographX-rays

Identifiers

PMID33025192
OpenAlexW3091793183

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.