Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40111662›Full record

ArticleSpine deformity2025

Magnetically controlled rod fracture is related to rod diameter but lower than TGR.

Matthew Weintraub, Omar Taha, Ritt Givens, Matan Malka, Mehdi M Elfilali, Kevin Lu, Paul Sponseller, Peter Sturm, Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, John Emans and 4 more

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Spine deformity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

14 authors.

Matthew WeintraubDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Omar TahaDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Ritt GivensDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Matan MalkaDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Mehdi M ElfilaliDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. mme2145@cumc.columbia.edu.
Kevin LuDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Paul SponsellerDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Peter SturmDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Oheneba Boachie-AdjeiThe FOCOS Hospital, Pantang, Republic of Ghana, Republic of Ghana.
John EmansDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Francisco Sánchez Pérez-GruesoSpine Surgery Unit, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
Michael G VitaleDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Benjamin D RoyeDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Pediatric Spine Study Group (PSSG)

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo quantify the risk of rod fracture after growth-friendly early-onset scoliosis (EOS) surgery, compare the risk of fracture between magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) and traditional growing rods (TGR), and compare the risk of fracture based on rod diameter.

methodsEOS patients undergoing TGR or MCGR instrumentation were identified from a large, multi-national registry (Pediatric Spine Study Group). Subgroup analyses (chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests) were performed between rods with diameters ≤ 5 mm and > 5 mm and between MCGR and TGR. To account for difference in follow-up, a log-rank survival analysis was performed between subgroups over a 5-year period.

resultsA total of 1588 patients, representing 3176 rods, met the inclusion criteria. There was no difference in pre-operative Cobb angle or maximum kyphosis between MCGR and TGR groups. At index surgery, MCGR patients were slightly older, taller, and heavier, although BMI was similar. The overall 2-year risk of rod fracture was 3.05%. TGR 2-year fracture risk was higher than MCGR (4.96% vs. 1.82%, p < 0.001). Similarly, among MCGRs, rods with a diameter ≤ 5 mm fractured at a higher rate than those > 5 mm. The 5-year survival analysis corroborated our 2-year findings.

conclusionAlthough relatively rare, the risk of rod fracture in EOS patients may be higher than previously reported. The overall risk of rod fracture is higher with TGR compared to MCGR, and while smaller rod diameter led to increased risk of fracture in MCGR constructs, the rod diameter was not associated with fracture risk in TGR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Indexed as

Internal FixatorsProsthesis FailureScoliosisSpinal FusionChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleRegistriesEarly-onset scoliosisGrowth-friendly surgeryMCGRRod fractureTGR

Identifiers

PMID40111662

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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.