Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41695903›Full record

ArticleSpine surgery and related research2026

Double Crush Syndrome in Surgically-Treated Lumbosacral Radiculopathy: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Implications.

William J Karakash, Henry Avetisian, Matthew C Gallo, Chimere O Ezuma, Jeffrey C Wang, Raymond J Hah, Ram K Alluri

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Spine surgery and related research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

William J KarakashDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Henry AvetisianDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Matthew C GalloDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Chimere O EzumaDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Jeffrey C WangDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Raymond J HahDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Ram K AlluriDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Double crush syndrome (DCS) refers to compressive neuropathy at multiple sites along a peripheral nerve (PN), yet its relevance in the lower extremity remains poorly defined. This study aimed to (1) determine the prevalence of PN lesions in patients undergoing surgery for lumbosacral radiculopathy (LR), (2) identify commonly affected nerves, (3) assess associated risk factors, and (4) evaluate the DCS hypothesis by comparing the incidence of PN lesions in patients undergoing surgery for LR versus matched controls. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the PearlDiver database (2010-2022) to identify adult patients who underwent lumbar decompression and/or fusion for LR. PN lesions diagnosed within two years before or after surgery were categorized by nerve. Univariate logistic regression was used to identify risk factors. A matched control cohort without LR was created using propensity score matching to evaluate the DCS hypothesis. Results: Of 650,562 patients undergoing surgery for LR, 32,909 (5.1%) were diagnosed with a PN lesion, with 60.6% occurring before and 38.4% after surgery. The most commonly affected nerves were the sciatic (31.7%), plantar (16.1%), and peroneal (11.2%). Risk factors for PN lesions included female gender (odds ratio [OR]: 1.22), age 50-59 years (OR: 1.23) and 60-69 years (OR: 1.17), and higher comorbidity burden with Elixhauser Comorbidity Index ≥5 (OR: 1.50). Comorbid conditions associated with increased risk included complex regional pain syndrome (OR: 3.33), fibromyalgia (OR: 1.73), and osteoarthritis (OR: 1.61). Compared to matched controls, patients with LR were significantly more likely to develop a PN lesion (OR: 3.10). Conclusions: PN lesions affect over 5% of patients undergoing surgery for LR and are significantly more common than in controls, supporting the DCS hypothesis in the lower extremity. Clinicians should maintain a broad differential diagnosis when evaluating radicular symptoms, especially in patients with high comorbidity burden or recurrent postoperative pain.

Indexed as

double crush syndromelower extremity neuropathylumbar decompressionlumbar fusionlumbosacral radiculopathyperipheral nerve lesionperipheral neuropathytarsal tunnel syndrome

Identifiers

PMID41695903
PMCPMC12902208

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.