Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35499300›Full record

ReviewGlobal spine journal2023

The Utility of Postoperative Bracing on Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes Following Cervical Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Sazid Hasan, Joseph Babrowicz, Muhammad A Waheed, Joshua David Piche, Rakesh Patel, Ilyas Aleem

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review 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 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Cervical orthosis does not improve postoperative pain following posterior cervical fusion: a randomized controlled trial.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 · 2024
    Trial
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Neurologic outcomes in patients with skeletal dysplasias undergoing cervical fusion and occipitocervical fusion.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2025
    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

6 authors.

Sazid Hasan159878Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, USA.
Joseph BabrowiczCollege of Literature, Science and the Arts, 114460University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Muhammad A Waheed159878Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4105-3670
Joshua David PicheDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, 21614University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6859-6478
Rakesh PatelDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, 21614University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Ilyas AleemDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, 21614University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4818-8578

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designSystematic Review.

objectivesTo determine the radiographic and clinical utility of postoperative orthoses following cervical spine surgery.

methodsWe performed a search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline Ovid, and SCOPUS databases from inception until November 2021. Eligible studies included outcomes of postoperative bracing vs no bracing following cervical spine surgery. The primary outcome of interest was fusion rates after cervical surgery in braced vs unbraced patients. Secondary outcomes included patient reported outcomes and complication rates.

resultsA total of 3232 titles were initially screened. After inclusion criteria were applied, 7 studies (550 patients) were included, which compared results of braced vs unbraced patients after cervical spine surgery. These studies showed acceptable reliability for inclusion based on the Methodical Index for Non-Randomized studies and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme assessment tools. There were no significant differences in fusion rates or complications between braced vs unbraced patients identified in any study. Patient reported pain and quality of life measures between braced and unbraced groups varied amongst studies, without any clear overall advantages favoring either method.

conclusionsThis systematic review found that external bracing, though widely used following cervical spine surgery, may not offer any advantages in patient-reported outcomes, as compared to not bracing. In regard to the effect of bracing on fusion rates, no strong consensus can be made as the methods of fusion assessment in the included studies were heterogenous and suboptimal. Future high-quality studies using recommended methods of fusion assessment are needed to adequately address this important question.

Indexed as

bracecervicalcollarcomplicationsfusion ratesoutcomesspinesurgery

Identifiers

PMID35499300
PMCPMC9972282

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.