Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33655920›Full record

ArticleMedicine2021

Low back pain: Influence of early MR imaging or CT on treatment and outcome - a randomized controlled study protocol.

Jianjian Zuo, Xuming Pan, Weiqiang Shen

Expression of concernAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in Medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It carries an expression of concern. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Models of care for managing non-specific low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Jianjian ZuoBachelor of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Huzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University.
Xuming PanBachelor of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Huzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University.
Weiqiang ShenMaster of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Huzhou Central Hospital& Affiliated Central Hospital of Hu Zhou University, Zhejiang, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1590-3996

Funding

Medical and health Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province 2018KY387
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo establish whether early use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) influences treatment and outcome of patients with low back pain.

methodsThis study will be implemented from March 2021 to March 2022 at Huzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. The experiment was granted through the Research Ethics Committee of Huzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (R609320987). Patients who have symptomatic lumbar spine disorders at presentation are eligible for the trial if there is clinical uncertainty about the need for imaging (MRI or CT). Patients are excluded who required immediate referral for imaging (those who had signs suggestive of serious abnormalities or disease or who required surgical intervention), who have undergone MR imaging or CT of the spine within 1 year, who do not need imaging, and who have pain of a nonspinal origin. The primary outcome measure is the Aberdeen Low Back Pain (ALBP) score. Other principal outcome measure is the Short Form 36.

resultsTable 1 will show the quality of life outcome measures between groups.

conclusionThis study may guide the policy makers to develop an evidence-based protocol to assess the effect of early use of MRI or CT in the treatment of patients with low back pain.

Indexed as

Magnetic Resonance ImagingTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdultAgedAged, 80 and overClinical Decision-MakingEarly DiagnosisFemaleHumansLow Back PainMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID33655920
PMCPMC7939158

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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.