Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38980365›Full record

Observational studyEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2026

Association between grip strength and walking pace with incidence of degenerative cervical myelopathy: a UK biobank observational study.

Lin Chengkai, Li Junhong, Zhu Zhengya, Zhou Jiaxiang, Wang Fuan, Wei Fuxin, Zhou Zhiyu, Shaoyu Liu

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in 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. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Lin ChengkaiInnovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Li JunhongInnovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Zhu ZhengyaInnovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Zhou JiaxiangInnovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Wang FuanInnovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Wei FuxinInnovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China. weifuxin@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Zhou ZhiyuInnovation Platform of Regeneration and Repair of Spinal Cord and Nerve Injury, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China. zhouzhy23@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Shaoyu LiuGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Spinal Surgery, Orthopaedic Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. liushaoy@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

Funding

Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzen Municipality SZSM201911002
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study investigates the association between handgrip strength, walking pace, and the incidence of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) using the UK Biobank dataset.

methodsWe analyzed data from 364,716 UK Biobank participants without prior neurological conditions. Handgrip strength was measured with a dynamometer, and walking pace was self-reported. Cox proportional hazards models assessed hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for DCM development.

resultsThe cohort, with an average age of 56.2 years (SD, 8.1) and 47.4% male, was followed for a median of 12.6 years. During this period, 3,993 participants (1.1%) developed DCM. A significant inverse correlation was found between handgrip strength and DCM incidence (P for trend < 0.001), with decreasing HRs for DCM across quartiles of increasing grip strength: HRs were 0.70 (95% CI: 0.64-0.76), 0.62 (95% CI: 0.57-0.68), and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.54-0.66) for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively. Participants with average or brisk walking paces had a lower DCM risk (HR, 0.55; 95% CI: 0.50-0.61 and HR, 0.48; 95% CI: 0.43-0.54) compared to slow walkers. The greatest risk reduction was in those with both higher handgrip strength and faster pace (HR, 0.39; 95% CI: 0.34-0.44).

conclusionsHandgrip strength and walking pace are inversely associated with DCM incidence, suggesting their potential as cost-effective screening tools for identifying individuals at risk for DCM.

Indexed as

Cervical VertebraeHand StrengthSpinal Cord DiseasesWalking SpeedFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedUK BiobankUnited KingdomDegenerative cervical myelopathyHandgrip strengthUK BiobankWalking pace

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.