Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42326252›Full record

ReviewCureus2026

A Narrative Review of Bertolotti's Syndrome: Etiology, Classification, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Matyas Abel Tsegaye, Andrea Muffly

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 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

2 authors.

Matyas Abel TsegayeBiomedical Sciences, Bertolotti's Syndrome Foundation, Chicago, USA.
Andrea MufflyCollege of Health Science, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bertolotti's syndrome is a congenital condition characterized by chronic low back pain stemming from a lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV). Because the condition is frequently overlooked, patients often face years of delayed diagnosis before the true source of their pain is identified. Furthermore, current information regarding the biological origins and clinical management of the condition remain scattered. To address this knowledge gap, this narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Bertolotti's syndrome by consolidating these disparate sources and suggesting new connections. We synthesize the latest understanding of this condition, ranging from its genetic origins to modern clinical management. We examine the biomechanical alterations caused by an LSTV and discuss the advantages of Jenkins classification over Castellvi classification. The diagnostic protocol is presented as a multi-step process, emphasizing the necessity of fluoroscopy-guided diagnostic injections to distinguish incidental findings from true pathology. Finally, we present the consensus treatment protocol based on the latest findings and identify critical gaps in the literature regarding standardized care protocols, unified clinical nomenclature, and long-term surgical outcomes.

Indexed as

bertolotti's syndromecastellvi classificationchronic low back painjenkins classificationlumbosacral transitional vertebraneuropathic pain

Identifiers

PMID42326252
PMCPMC13278308

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.