ReviewGlobal spine journal2024
The value of Clinical signs in the diagnosis of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy - A Systematic review and Meta-analysis.
Review in Global spine journal, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cervical compressive myelopathy in Africa: a systematic review of clinical presentation, diagnostic pathways, surgical management, and outcomes.BMC neurology · 2026Pooled it
- AO Spine Clinical Practice Recommendations for Mild Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Contemporary Concepts.Global spine journal · 2026Review
- Prevalence of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Patients With a Positive Hoffmann Sign and No Cervical Cord Compression on MRI: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Shoulder pain that is not shoulder pathology - a shoulder surgeon's guide to concomitant cervical spine and rotator cuff disease.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Review
- Diagnostic and Surgical Decision-Making for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Survey With Post-Stratification Analysis.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- Early Diagnosis of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence.Global spine journal · 2026Review
- Healthcare Provider Perspectives of Various Signs and Symptoms for Diagnosing Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Results of an International, Multidisciplinary Survey.Muscle & nerve · 2026Article
- Application and performance of deep learning models for the automated diagnosis of cervical central spinal stenosis on MRI: a systematic review.Brain & spine · 2026Review
- Integrative Investigation of Lactylome-Proteome Interplay in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy for Pinpointing Disease Development-Associated Pathways or Proteins.Journal of diabetes research · 2026Article
- Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Diagnosis and Its Differentiation from Neurological Mimics, MS and ALS: A Literature Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Prevalence of positive neural findings in patients attending outpatient physical therapy: an exploratory study.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2025Observational
- Subclinical knee extensor weakness predicts gait and balance impairment in degenerative cervical myelopathy.GeroScience · 2025Observational
- Assessing the diagnostic accuracy of symptoms and signs of degenerative cervical myelopathy: A prospective study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Evaluating Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist's Self-Perceived Knowledge and Understanding of the Assessment, Diagnosis and Management of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Musculoskeletal care · 2025Article
- MYNAH Registry: A novel approach to decoding the natural history of degenerative cervical myelopathy.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2025Article
- In Cervical Myelopathy: Clinical Effect of the Posterior Myelon Shifting After Dorsal Decompression and Instrumentation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Degenerative cervical myelopathy: timing of surgery.EFORT open reviews · 2025Article
- Understanding degenerative cervical myelopathy in musculoskeletal practice.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2025Review
- Assessing Surgical Outcomes in Cervical Degenerative Disease: The Role of Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Presentation and management of a patient with rapid progression of degenerative cervical myelopathy during pregnancy: a case report.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
23 authors at 13 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
STUDY
designDelayed diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is likely due to a combination of its subtle symptoms, incomplete neurological assessments by clinicians and a lack of public and professional awareness. Diagnostic criteria for DCM will likely facilitate earlier referral for definitive management.
objectivesThis systematic review aims to determine (i) the diagnostic accuracy of various clinical signs and (ii) the association between clinical signs and disease severity in DCM?
methodsA search was performed to identify studies on adult patients that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a clinical sign used for diagnosing DCM. Studies were also included if they assessed the association between the presence of a clinical sign and disease severity. The QUADAS-2 tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias of individual studies.
resultsThis review identified eleven studies that used a control group to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of various signs. An additional 61 articles reported on the frequency of clinical signs in a cohort of DCM patients. The most sensitive clinical tests for diagnosing DCM were the Tromner and hyperreflexia, whereas the most specific tests were the Babinski, Tromner, clonus and inverted supinator sign. Five studies evaluated the association between the presence of various clinical signs and disease severity. There was no definite association between Hoffmann sign, Babinski sign or hyperreflexia and disease severity.
conclusionThe presence of clinical signs suggesting spinal cord compression should encourage health care professionals to pursue further investigation, such as neuroimaging to either confirm or refute a diagnosis of DCM.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.