Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38957773›Full record

ArticleJournal of craniovertebral junction & spine

Enhancing palliative care in vulnerable patients: Robot-assisted radiofrequency ablation for multiple spinal metastases - Technical insights and preliminary outcomes.

Giuseppe Ricciardo, Giada Garufi, Gianluca Scalia, Fabio Cacciola, Domenicantonio Collufio, Alfredo Conti, Salvatore Massimiliano Cardali

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of craniovertebral junction & spine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. 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

7 authors.

Giuseppe RicciardoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Giada GarufiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Gianluca ScaliaDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, Neurosurgery Unit, Garibaldi Hospital, Catania, Italy.
Fabio CacciolaDepartment of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Unit of Neurosurgery, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Domenicantonio CollufioDepartment of Neurosurgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Alfredo ContiDepartment of Neurosurgery, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Italy.
Salvatore Massimiliano CardaliDepartment of Neurosurgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Papardo, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA) coupled with vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty offers a minimally invasive, safe, and efficacious approach to palliate polymetastatic spine disease, particularly in medically fragile individuals. However, the application of robotic assistance to RFA for spinal metastases remains unexplored. This study elucidates the technical viability of robot-assisted RFA combined with vertebroplasty in patients afflicted by multiple spinal metastases and presents preliminary outcomes. An illustrative case was also presented. Materials and Methods: Ten patients aged over 65 years with multiple vertebral metastases were enrolled in this study. Preoperatively, patients exhibited a median Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score of 6 and a Median Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score of 58%. From February 2021 to April 2022, all patients underwent RFA, followed by vertebroplasty for spinal metastases. Surgical procedures were executed using the ExcelsiusGPS Results: Patients experienced substantial pain relief, with a median VAS score of 2.5 at 24 h postoperatively (Δ --3.5; Conclusions: This case series represents the inaugural successful application of robot-assisted RFA in conjunction with concurrent vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty. Our preliminary experience demonstrates that patients with oligo- and polymetastatic conditions can derive benefits from this minimally invasive intervention, characterized by rapid postoperative recovery and effective short- to medium-term pain management, without encountering complications.

Indexed as

Elderlyradiofrequency thermal ablationroboticsspinal metastasisvertebroplasty

Identifiers

PMID38957773
PMCPMC11216648

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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.