Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38512363›Full record

ArticleSkeletal radiology2024

Long-term CT follow-up of patients with lumbar spondylolysis reveals low rate of spontaneous bone fusion.

Anita Staudenmann, Adrian Alexander Marth, Christoph Stern, Stefan Fröhlich, Reto Sutter

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Skeletal radiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 18% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Accuracy in spinal level determination, including transitional vertebrae: an ASReview supported systematic review.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
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
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  6. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2024
    Review
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 2 institutions in 1 country.

Anita StaudenmannDepartment of Radiology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstr. 340, Zurich, Switzerland. anita.staudenmann@hin.c.
Adrian Alexander MarthDepartment of Radiology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstr. 340, Zurich, Switzerland.
Christoph SternDepartment of Radiology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstr. 340, Zurich, Switzerland.
Stefan FröhlichDepartment of Sports Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstr. 340, Zurich, Switzerland.
Reto SutterDepartment of Radiology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Forchstr. 340, Zurich, Switzerland.
University of Zurich · CHUniversitätsklinik Balgrist · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesKnowledge about the long-term outcome of patients with lumbar spondylolysis (LS) is limited. This study assessed the frequency of bone fusion in conservatively treated lumbar spondylolysis with photon counting detector computed tomography.

methodsPatients with lumbar spondylolysis diagnosed with CT or MRI were prospectively enrolled and underwent CT 5-10 years after initial imaging. Image assessment included evaluation of Meyerding grade, listhesis size, measurement of the lysis gap, and disc integrity on the lysis level. Comparisons were made between bone fusion as the primary endpoint and sex, body mass index, age at diagnosis, follow-up interval, size of listhesis, Meyerding grade, size of the lysis gap, sports activity, and presence of pain.

resultsA total of 39 patients (26.0 ± 3.1 years, 15 female) with lumbar spondylolysis on 41 levels were included after a mean follow-up period of 9.1 ± 2.2 years. Nine patients (22.0%, four female) showed complete fusion of the lysis gap. Patients with bone fusion of the lysis gap had a significantly lower Meyerding grade (p = 0.01), smaller size of the listhesis (p = 0.019), and smaller anterior and posterior lysis gap size (p = 0.046 and p = 0.011, respectively). Unilateral lyses showed significantly higher fusion rates than bilateral lyses (40.0% vs. 16.1%, p = 0.01). No statistically significant difference was found for pain at follow-up between patients with and without bone fusion (p = 0.253).

conclusionBone fusion occurred in about a fifth of conservatively treated lumbar spondylolysis after a follow-up period of 9 years. Factors associated with a successful fusion were a lower Meyerding grade, minimal listhesis, and a small lysis gap.

Indexed as

Lumbar VertebraeSpondylolysisTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdultFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleProspective StudiesBone fusionFollow-upLumbar spondylolysis

Identifiers

PMID38512363
PMCPMC11411009
OpenAlexW4393054393

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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.