Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37181582›Full record

ArticleWorld neurosurgery: X2023

Prospective application of the risk analysis index to measure preoperative frailty in spinal tumor surgery: A single center outcomes analysis.

Remy L Link, Kavelin Rumalla, Evan N Courville, Joanna M Roy, Syed Faraz Kazim, Christian A Bowers, Meic H Schmidt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in World neurosurgery: X, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. ACDF and cervical disc replacement for single-level cervical spine degenerative disease: a frailty driven propensity score-matched comparative 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 · 2026
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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.

Remy L LinkDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Kavelin RumallaDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Evan N CourvilleDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Joanna M RoyBowers Neurosurgical Frailty and Outcomes Data Science Lab, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
Syed Faraz KazimDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Christian A BowersDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Meic H SchmidtDepartment of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), Albuquerque, NM, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Surgeons are frequently faced with challenging clinical dilemmas evaluating whether the benefits of surgery outweigh the substantial risks routinely encountered with spinal tumor surgery. The Clinical Risk Analysis Index (RAI-C) is a robust frailty tool administered via a patient-friendly questionnaire that strives to augment preoperative risk stratification. The objective of the study was to prospectively measure frailty with RAI-C and track postoperative outcomes after spinal tumor surgery. Methods: Patients surgically treated for spinal tumors were followed prospectively from 7/2020-7/2022 at a single tertiary center. RAI-C was ascertained during preoperative visits and verified by the provider. The RAI-C scores were assessed in relation to postoperative functional status (measured by modified Rankin Scale score [mRS]) at the last follow-up visit. Results: Of 39 patients, 47% were robust (RAI 0-20), 26% normal (21-30), 16% frail (31-40), and 11% severely frail (RAI 41+).). Pathology included primary (59%) and metastatic (41%) tumors with corresponding mRS>2 rates of 17% and 38%, respectively. Tumors were classified as extradural (49%), intradural extramedullary (46%), or intradural intramedullary (5.4%) with mRS>2 rates of 28%, 24%, and 50%, respectively. RAI-C had a positive association with mRS>2 ​at follow-up: 16% for robust, 20% for normal, 43% for frail, and 67% for severely frail. The two deaths in the series had the highest RAI-C scores (45 and 46) and were patients with metastatic cancer. The RAI-C was a robust and diagnostically accurate predictor of mRS>2 in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (C-statistic: 0.70, 95 CI: 0.49-0.90). Conclusions: The findings exemplify the clinical utility of RAI-C frailty scoring for prediction of outcomes after spinal tumor surgery and it has potential to help in the surgical decision-making process as well as surgical consent. As a preliminary case series, the authors intend to provide additional data with a larger sample size and longer follow-up duration in a future study.

Indexed as

Clinical risk analysis index (RAI-C)FrailtyModified frailty indexPostoperative outcomesProspectiveSpinal tumor

Identifiers

PMID37181582
PMCPMC10172743

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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.