Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33877460›Full record

ArticleInsights into imaging2021

Identifying lumbosacral plexus nerve root abnormalities in patients with sciatica using 3T readout-segmented echo-planar diffusion weighted MR neurography.

Osamah M Abdulaal, Allison McGee, Louise Rainford, Dearbhail O'Driscoll, Marie Galligan, Valerie Reid, Peter J MacMahon

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Insights into imaging, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 39% 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, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Osamah M AbdulaalDiagnostic Radiology Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Madina, Saudi Arabia. oabdulaal@taibahu.edu.sa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2745-0688
Allison McGeeRadiography and Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Louise RainfordRadiography and Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Dearbhail O'DriscollDepartment of Radiology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin7, Dublin, Ireland.
Marie GalliganRadiography and Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Valerie ReidDepartment of Neurophysiology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin7, Dublin, Ireland.
Peter J MacMahonDepartment of Radiology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin7, Dublin, Ireland.
University College Dublin · IEMater Misericordiae University Hospital · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo investigate the accuracy of Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) using the Readout Segmentation of Long Variable Echo-trains (RESOLVE) sequence in detecting lumbosacral nerve abnormalities.

methodsFollowing institutional ethics committee approval, patients with sciatica-type lower limb radicular symptoms (n = 110) were recruited and prospectively scanned using 3T MRI. Additional participants (n = 17) who underwent neurophysiological testing (EMG/NCV), were also prospectively studied. In addition to routine lumbar spine MRI, a DWI-RESOLVE sequence of the lumbosacral plexus was performed. Two radiologists, blinded to the side of patient symptoms, independently evaluated the MR images. The size and signal intensity changes of the nerves were evaluated using ordinal 4-point Likert-scales. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and size were measured for affected and normal nerves. Inter-observer agreement was determined with kappa statistics; κ.

resultsIn patients who did not undergo EMG/NCV testing (n = 110), the DWI-RESOLVE sequence detected lumbosacral nerve abnormalities that correlated with symptoms in 36.3% (40/110). This is a similar percentage to patients who underwent EMG/NCV testing, which was positive and correlated with symptoms in 41.2% (7/17). Inter-observer agreement for evaluation of lumbosacral nerve abnormalities was excellent and ranged from 0.87 to 0.94. SNR and nerve size measurements demonstrated statistically significant differences for the L5 and S1 nerves (p value < 0.05) for patients who did not undergo EMG/NCV testing.

conclusionThe DWI-RESOLVE sequence is a promising new method that may permit accurate detection and localization of lumbar nerve abnormalities in patients with sciatica.

Indexed as

Evidence-based practiceMagnetic resonance imagingSciaticaSpine

Identifiers

PMID33877460
PMCPMC8058120
OpenAlexW3154015487

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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.