Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39799229›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

The MRI-based vertebral bone quality score is a predictor of pedicle screw loosening following instrumented posterior lumbar fusion.

Yung-Hsueh Hu, Jian-Hong Chou, Yu-Cheng Yeh, Ming-Kai Hsieh, Tsung-Ting Tsai, Wen-Jer Chen, Lih-Hui Chen, Po-Liang Lai, Chi-Chien Niu

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Article in Scientific reports, 2025. 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
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6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Absence of bone marrow edema on early postoperative MRI predicts fusion outcome after single-level lumbar interbody fusion.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
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Risk factors for pedicle screw loosening: a comprehensive review.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

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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

9 authors.

Yung-Hsueh Hu *Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Jian-Hong Chou *Bone and Joint Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Yu-Cheng YehDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Ming-Kai HsiehDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Tsung-Ting TsaiDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Wen-Jer ChenDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chung Shan Hospital, No. 11, Ln. 112, Sec. 4, Ren'ai Rd., Da'an Dist, Taipei, 10689, Taiwan.
Lih-Hui ChenDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Po-Liang LaiDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Chi-Chien NiuDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan. niuchien@adm.cgmh.org.tw.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the predictive ability of the MRI-based vertebral bone quality (VBQ) score for pedicle screw loosening following instrumented transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).

methodsData from patients who have received one or two-level instrumented TLIF from February 2014 to March 2015 were retrospectively collected. Pedicle screw loosening was diagnosed when the radiolucent zone around the screw exceeded 1 mm in plain radiographs. The T1-weighted MRI sagittal images were used for calculation of the VBQ score. The score was calculated with the median signal intensity value of L1 to L4 divided by the signal intensity value of cerebrospinal fluid at the L3 level. Univariate analysis and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis were performed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis assessed the predictive ability of the VBQ score on screw loosening.

resultsAmong the included 211 patients, 75 of them (35.55%) had pedicle screw loosening at the 24 month follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression analyses demonstrated that higher VBQ score (OR: 27.887 ± 0.514 ,95% CI: 10.189-76.326), male sex (female to male 0.323 ± 0.483, 0.126-0.833), and longer fusion length (2.578 ± 0.545, 1.166-5.701) were significant influencing factors for pedicle screw loosening. The VBQ score significantly predicted screw loosening with an accuracy of 78.9%.

conclusionsA higher VBQ score was an independent risk factor for pedicle screw loosening following instrumented TLIF. The MRI-based VBQ score showed good predictive ability for screw loosening and could be used as an alternative option for preoperative bone quality evaluation.

Indexed as

Lumbar VertebraeMagnetic Resonance ImagingPedicle ScrewsSpinal FusionAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesROC CurveBone densityMRIMultivariable analysisPedicle screw looseningPosterior lumbar fusion

Identifiers

PMID39799229
PMCPMC11724917

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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.