Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40434583›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2026

The impact of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae on the distribution and healing of lumbar spondylolysis.

Mitsuru Asukai, Tomohiro Banno, Mitsuhiro Namba, Hiroshi Nakamura, Reina Murai, Yuki Takeuchi, Akitaka Kurihara, Hideyuki Murata, Masashi Abe, Yukihiro Matsuyama

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Article in 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. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

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2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Mitsuru AsukaiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan. mitsuruasukai@gmail.com.
Tomohiro BannoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Japan.
Mitsuhiro NambaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan.
Hiroshi NakamuraDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan.
Reina MuraiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan.
Yuki TakeuchiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan.
Akitaka KuriharaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan.
Hideyuki MurataDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan.
Masashi AbeDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kikugawa General Hospital, Shizuoka, Kikugawa, Japan.
Yukihiro MatsuyamaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) are a common anatomical variant of the lumbosacral junction that has been associated with various spinal disorders. However, no prior studies have examined the relationship between LSTV and lumbar spondylolysis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the prevalence of LSTV and assess its impact on the affected spinal level and bone union rate in patients with lumbar spondylolysis.

methodsThis study retrospectively analyzed data from 346 patients (270 boys) aged ≤ 18 years diagnosed with lumbar spondylolysis between January 2012 and December 202. The affected spinal level was assessed in all 346 patients. Bone union was evaluated in 284 patients with very early, early, or progressive lesions who received conservative treatment. LSTV was assessed using the Castellvi classification, and patients were categorized into the LSTV and control groups based on the presence and absence of LSTV, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the distribution of affected spinal levels and bone union rates between groups.

resultsHerein, the prevalence of LSTV in patients with lumbar spondylolysis was 21.1%. The incidence of spondylolysis at L3 and L4 was significantly higher in the LSTV group (L3: 20.5%, L4: 43.8%, and L5: 35.6%) than in the control group (L3: 4.8%, L4: 27.5%, and L5: 67.8%). No significant differences in bone union rates were observed between the two groups (LSTV: 100%, 94.8%, and 47.1%; control: 94.5%, 92.3%, and 49.5% in the very early, early, and progressive stages, respectively).

conclusionIn patients with LSTV, spondylolysis is more likely to occur at L4 or a level more cranial than L5. However, the presence of the LSTV does not significantly affect the bone union rate.

Indexed as

Lumbar VertebraeSacrumSpondylolysisAdolescentChildFemaleHumansLumbosacral RegionMaleRetrospective StudiesAffected spinal levelBone unionLumbar spondylolysisLumbosacral transitional vertebra

Identifiers

PMID40434583

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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.