Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34297320›Full record

ArticleSpine deformity2021

Analysis of serum levels of titanium and aluminium ions in patients with early onset scoliosis operated upon using the magnetic growing rod-a single centre study of 14 patients.

Mandar Deepak Borde, Sarang Sapare, Emile Schutgens, Chadi Ali, Hilali Noordeen

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Spine deformity, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. 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

5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Mandar Deepak BordeDepartment of Orthopaedics and Spine Surgery, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Medical College, Pune-Satara Road, Dhankawdi, Pune, Maharashtra, 411043, India. mandarborde@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-4712-4145
Sarang SapareDepartment of Spine Surgery, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex, UK.
Emile SchutgensDepartment of Spine Surgery, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex, UK.
Chadi AliDepartment of Spine Surgery, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex, UK.
Hilali NoordeenDepartment of Spine Surgery, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex, UK. hilali.noordeen@nhs.net.
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designA cross-sectional retrospective Level 3 study.

objectiveTo study the serum levels of Titanium and Aluminium ions in patients operated using the magnetically controlled growing rod (MCGR) system. 14 consecutive patients of early onset scoliosis with varying etiology managed with MCGR system with a minimum follow-up of 24 months were selected for the study. The group consisted of two boys (14.3%) and 12 girls (85.7%). The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was 10.4 years (5-15 years). The average period of follow-up was 43.7 months (28-79 months). After informed consent of the subjects and their caretakers, serum levels of titanium and aluminium were measured. These levels were then assessed with regards to the number of screws used, number of distractions and complications.

methodsThe concentration of titanium and aluminium ions in the serum was measured using high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

resultsFor the sake of ease of assessment, patients were divided into three etiology-based groups-idiopathic (n = 6), neuromuscular (n = 2) and syndromic (n = 6). The mean serum titanium level was 15.9 μg/L (5.1-28.2 μg/L) while that of aluminium was 0.1 μmol/L (0.1-0.2 μmol/L). Of the 14 patients, 2 (14.2%) patients had mechanical failure (actuator pin dysfunction), 3 (21.4%) had rod breakage requiring revision surgery and one patient (7.1%) had surgical site infection managed with appropriate antibiotics. Patients undergoing revision for rod breakage did not show any metallosis of the tissues during surgery.

conclusionAnalysis of patients with scoliosis operated using the magnetic growing rod system concludes that it is accompanied by presence of titanium in the blood but whether clinically significant or not needs to be ascertained by comparison of preoperative and postoperative blood concentrations of the titanium ions in individual subjects. The aluminium ion concentration remains within normal limits. Though implant malfunction may raise the titanium levels in the blood, its clinical significance needs to be determined. The aluminium levels are not affected irrespective to the presence or absence of complications. The long-term effects of raised titanium levels in the blood also warrant further prospective studies designed for precise and deeper analyses.

Indexed as

ScoliosisTitaniumAluminumChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIonsMagnetic PhenomenaMaleProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesAluminumIonsTitaniumAluminium ionsEarly onset scoliosisMCGRSerum levelsTitanium ions

Identifiers

PMID34297320
PMCPMC8363538
OpenAlexW3186761685

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.