Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40358802›Full record

SynthesisJournal of neuro-oncology2025

Percutaneous cryoablation in the management of spinal metastases: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mohammad Sadegh Fallahi, S Farzad Maroufi, S Parmis Maroufi, MirHojjat Khorasanizadeh, Leonardo José Monteiro de Macêdo Filho, Konstantinos Margetis, Daipayan Guha, Claudio E Tatsui, Alireza Mansouri

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of neuro-oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. 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

9 authors.

Mohammad Sadegh FallahiNeurosurgical Research Network (NRN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
S Farzad MaroufiNeurosurgical Research Network (NRN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
S Parmis MaroufiNeurosurgical Research Network (NRN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
MirHojjat KhorasanizadehDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconson, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Leonardo José Monteiro de Macêdo FilhoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
Konstantinos MargetisIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Daipayan GuhaDivision of Neurosurgery, Hamilton General Hospital, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Claudio E TatsuiDepartment of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Alireza MansouriDepartment of Neurosurgery, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA. amansouri@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMinimally invasive techniques such as vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, radiofrequency ablation, and stereotactic body radiotherapy have been widely used to manage spinal metastases. Among these, percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) has emerged as a promising option for local tumor control and pain management, offering targeted treatment with minimal damage to surrounding tissues. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PCA for spinal metastases.

methodsA systematic review was conducted using PubMed and Embase databases to identify studies that reported outcomes of PCA for spinal metastases. The reported radiologic, clinical, and complication outcomes were then combined and analyzed using meta-analytic methods including the calculation of pooled means and proportions, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression.

resultsEleven studies, including 229 patients, met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Patients had a mean age of 61.8 years, with 60.6% being female. Breast (18.6%), lung (16.0%), and thyroid (8.0%) were the most common primary cancer sites. PCA was primarily conducted under general anesthesia (47.5%) and with CT/MRI guidance (93.9%). Local tumor control was achieved in 70.5% of cases over a mean follow-up of 12.6 months. Pain severity significantly decreased postoperatively, with a mean reduction of 4.5 points (P < 0.0001). Major and minor complication rates were 2.0% and 4.8%, respectively.

conclusionsPCA is an effective alternative treatment for spinal metastases, offering pain relief and local tumor control with low complication rates in appropriately selected patients. However, tumor location and patient age may influence treatment outcomes, underscoring the need for individualized treatment planning.

Indexed as

CryosurgerySpinal NeoplasmsHumansPercutaneous cryoablationSpinal metastatic tumorsSpinal tumor

Identifiers

PMID40358802
PMCPMC12208987

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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.