Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33840238›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2023

Thoracic Myelopathy in Ossified Ligamentum Flavum: Surgical Management and Long-Term Outcome Following 2 Different Techniques of Surgical Decompression.

Rajdeep Singh Bagga, Ajoy P Shetty, Vibhu Krishnan Viswanathan, Gurijala Jyotheswara Reddy, Rishi Mukesh Kanna, S Rajasekaran

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 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 17% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Open posterior approach versus endoscopic approach for thoracic ligamentum flavum ossification: 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 · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. S8 Navigation system combined with an ultrasonic osteotome for three-dimensional real-time dynamic visualization decompression to reduce postoperative neurological deterioration in thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum.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 · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Ultrasonic bone scalpel in spine surgery.Journal of orthopaedics · 2023
    Review
  8. 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

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rajdeep Singh BaggaDepartment of Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
Ajoy P ShettyDepartment of Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, India.ORCID 0000-0002-0736-1365
Vibhu Krishnan ViswanathanDepartment of Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
Gurijala Jyotheswara ReddyDepartment of Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
Rishi Mukesh KannaDepartment of Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, India.ORCID 0000-0001-5817-4909
S RajasekaranDepartment of Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, India.ORCID 0000-0001-6043-006X
Ganga Hospital · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective cohort study.

objectiveThoracic ossified ligamentum flavum (TOLF) has been reported to present with varying degrees of neuro-deficit and multiple factors have been purported to affect its outcome. Purpose of study was to analyze factors affecting outcome and impact of ultrasonic osteotome (UO).

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients treated for thoracic myelopathy secondary to OLF between 2010 and 2017. 77 patients with complete clinico-radiological records and 2 years follow-up were included. Initial 45 patients, conventional high-speed burr (HSB-group A) was used for decompression. In others, UO was used in combination with HSB (group B). Myelopathy was graded using modified Japanese orthopaedic association grading pre-operatively and each postoperative visit. At final follow-up, recovery rate was calculated. Radiological details including location, morphology, dural ossification, signal change and spinal ossifications were recorded.

resultsMean mJOA at presentation and final follow-up were 4.3±1.8 and 7.6±1.9 respectively (p = 0.001). HRR was 49.9±23 at final follow-up. A significant reduction in dural tear (12.5%; 29%) and surgical time (125.8±49.5; 189.4±52.5) were observed in group B (p = 0.00). However, there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.18) in recovery rates between groups A (44.8±26.1) and B (52.8±24.3). Symptom duration (p = 0.00), severity of myelopathy (p = 0.04) and cord signal changes on MRI (p = 0.02) were important predictors of outcome.

conclusionUse of UO significantly reduced operative time and dural tears, although resulted in similar recovery rate as compared with HSB. Pre-operative severity of myelopathy, symptom duration and presence of cord signal change were the most significant predictors of outcome.

Indexed as

dural tearossified ligamentum flavumthoracic myelopathyultrasonic device

Identifiers

PMID33840238
PMCPMC10240582
OpenAlexW3155443889

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.