Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40149777›Full record

ReviewBrain sciences2025

Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy Following Cervical Spine Surgery-Two Case Reports and a Systematic Review of the Literature.

Felicia Hellquist, Victor Gabriel El-Hajj, Ali Buwaider, Erik Edström, Adrian Elmi-Terander

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. 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

5 authors.

Felicia HellquistDepartment of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden.
Victor Gabriel El-HajjDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-9479-761X
Ali BuwaiderDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
Erik EdströmDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-8781-1169
Adrian Elmi-TeranderDepartment of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-3776-6136

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesHypoglossal nerve palsy (HNP) is a rare complication after cervical spine surgery and is reported after both anterior and posterior approaches. It often presents with dysarthria, dysphagia, and hoarseness. We present a systematic review of the literature and two cases of patients presenting with confirmed HNP after anterior cervical spine surgery.

methodsTwo retrospective case reports and a systematic review of the literature were presented. The electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception.

resultsIn total, 17 cases of HNP were reported in the literature, including the two hereby presented. Ten cases involved the anterior approach and seven the posterior approach. The reported risk of HNP following cervical spine surgery varied between 0.01% and 2.5% depending on the procedure. The main etiology was mechanical compression of the nerve. Most of the cases recovered within a few months with conservative treatment. In some cases, permanent hypoglossal injury with persistent symptoms was reported. In both of the current cases, the symptoms gradually improved and completely resolved after a few months.

conclusionsHNP is a rare complication after cervical spine surgery. The causes of hypoglossal palsy are multifactorial, but mechanical injury is the most common. A thorough understanding of the nerve's anatomy is essential to minimize the risk of injury during anesthesia, patient positioning, and surgery. Understanding the underlying mechanisms contributing to HNP post-cervical spine surgery enables the implementation of preventive measures to mitigate its occurrence.

Indexed as

anterior approachcervical spinecomplicationsHNPhypoglossal nerve palsyposterior approachspine surgery

Identifiers

PMID40149777
PMCPMC11940092

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.