Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39254381›Full record

SynthesisJournal of rehabilitation medicine2024

Efficacy of selective neurotomy for focal lower limb spasticity: a systematic review.

Danique J M Ploegmakers, Hanneke J R Van Duijnhoven, Liron S Duraku, Erkan Kurt, Alexander C H Geurts, Tim De Jong

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. How I do it: Selective femoral neurotomy.Acta neurochirurgica · 2025
    Article
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

6 authors.

Danique J M PloegmakersDepartment of Rehabilitation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Rehabilitation Centre Klimmendaal, Arnhem, Netherlands. danique.ploegmakers@radboudumc.nl.
Hanneke J R Van DuijnhovenDepartment of Rehabilitation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Liron S DurakuDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgery, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Erkan KurtDepartment of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Alexander C H GeurtsDepartment of Rehabilitation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Tim De JongDepartment of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveSelective neurotomy has been suggested as a permanent treatment for focal spasticity. A systematic literature review was performed to investigate the efficacy of selective neurotomy regarding focal lower limb spasticity.

methodsA systematic search in PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, and Embase databases was carried out. Studies were included if they reported on the following outcomes: muscle tone, muscle strength, pain, ankle range of motion and/or walking speed, after selective lower limb neurotomy in any type of upper motor neuron syndrome.

resultsA total of 25 non-randomized and/or uncontrolled studies and 1 randomized controlled study were selected. The included studies reported improvements in terms of leg muscle tone, pain, passive range of ankle motion, and walking speed.

conclusionThe results suggest that selective neurotomy is effective for reducing lower limb spasticity, without any negative effects on walking speed. However, this conclusion is primarily based on uncontrolled case series, whereas conclusions on clinical efficacy should preferably be based on comparison with a reference treatment through (randomized) controlled trials. Future studies should also include quantitative, validated functional assessment tools to further establish the efficacy of selective neurotomy as long-lasting treatment for patients with focal lower limb spasticity.

Indexed as

Lower ExtremityMuscle SpasticityHumansMotor Neuron DiseaseMuscle StrengthRange of Motion, ArticularTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID39254381
PMCPMC11407105

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.