Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33601898›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2023

What Is the Impact of Surgical Approach in the Treatment of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy in Patients With OPLL? A Propensity-Score Matched, Multi-Center Analysis on Inpatient and Post-Discharge 90-Day Outcomes.

Nathan J Lee, Venkat Boddapati, Justin Mathew, Michael Fields, Meghana Vulapalli, Jun S Kim, Joseph M Lombardi, Zeeshan M Sardar, Ronald A Lehman, K Daniel Riew

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global spine journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 11% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Anterior versus posterior decompression and fusion for multilevel 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 · 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

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Nathan J LeeDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9572-5968
Venkat BoddapatiDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.
Justin MathewDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7699-780X
Michael FieldsDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6077-1494
Meghana VulapalliDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1197-0400
Jun S KimDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.
Joseph M LombardiDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.
Zeeshan M SardarDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.
Ronald A LehmanDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.
K Daniel RiewDepartment of Orthopaedics, Columbia University Medical Center, The Och Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian, New York, NY, USA.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective cohort.

objectiveProvide a comparison of surgical approach in the treatment of degenerative cervical myelopathy in patients with OPLL.

methodsA national database was queried to identify adult (≥18 years) patients with OPLL, who underwent at least a 2-level cervical decompression and fusion for cervical myelopathy from 2012-2014. A propensity-score-matching algorithm was employed to compare outcomes by surgical approach.

resultsAfter propensity-score matching, 627 patients remained. An anterior approach was found to be an independent predictor for higher inpatient surgical complications(OR 5.9), which included dysphagia:14%[anterior]vs.1.1%[posterior]

conclusionsThe national estimates for inpatient complications(25%), readmissions(9.9%), and reoperations(3.5%) are substantial after the surgical treatment of multi-level OPLL. An anterior approach resulted in significantly higher inpatient surgical complications, but this did not result in a longer hospital length of stay and the overall 90-day complication rates requiring readmission or reoperation was similar to those seen after a posterior approach. For patients requiring >3-level fusion, an anterior approach is associated with significantly higher risk for respiratory complications requiring mechanical ventilation and revision fusion surgery. Precise neurological complications and functional outcomes were not included in this database, and should be further assessed in future studies.

Indexed as

ACDFanterior cervical discectomy and fusioncervical myelopathynational readmission databaseopllossification of the posterior longitudinal ligamentpcfposterior cervical decompression and fusion

Identifiers

PMID33601898
PMCPMC9972269
OpenAlexW3130735280

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.