Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42385743›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurological surgery. Part A, Central European neurosurgery2026

Evaluating Three-Dimensional Navigation versus Conventional Fluoroscopy for Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy: An Exploratory Cohort Comparison.

Christian Blume, Andrej Bitter, Guido Wapenhans, Patrick Weidle, Kerstin Jütten, Miguel Pishnamaz, Alexander Romagna, Ulf Bertram, Christian Andreas Mueller, Hans Clusmann and 1 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurological surgery. Part A, Central European neurosurgery, 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

11 authors.

Christian BlumeDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Andrej BitterDepartment of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Neuwerk Hospital Mönchengladbach, Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Guido WapenhansDepartment of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Neuwerk Hospital Mönchengladbach, Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Patrick WeidleDepartment of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Neuwerk Hospital Mönchengladbach, Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Kerstin JüttenDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Miguel PishnamazDepartment of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Alexander RomagnaDepartment of Neurosurgery, München Klinik Bogenhausen, Munich, Bayern, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-1855-2212
Ulf BertramDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5907-5213
Christian Andreas MuellerDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Hans ClusmannDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Tobias Philip SchmidtDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6293-0025

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Unilateral monosegmental radiculopathy, caused by foraminal soft disc nerve root compression, can be treated with posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF). Conventional fluoroscopy is widely used for level localization and verifying decompression extent intraoperatively. However, the failure rate increases, especially in obese patients and the lower cervical spine. Can intraoperative three-dimensional (3D) navigation improve outcomes in PCF compared with conventional fluoroscopy? Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed two groups: 42 patients (mean age: 54 ± 10 years) who underwent PCF using intraoperative 3D navigation (study group) and 63 patients (mean age: 51 ± 11 years) who underwent PCF with conventional fluoroscopy (control group). Each cohort was divided into upper (C3-C6) and lower cervical spine (C6-T1) subgroups. Differences were explored by Mann-Whitney U and Friedman tests. Results: Both groups experienced significant postoperative symptom improvement, with no significant neurological differences. Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences between surgeries in the upper (C3-C6) and lower (C6-T1) cervical spine. Only blood loss in the C3-C6 group differed significantly between control and study groups. Conclusion: Intraoperative 3D navigation was successfully used for PCF, resulting in significant symptom relief. Outcomes after PCF with 3D navigation appeared comparable to those achieved with conventional fluoroscopy, without statistical evidence of a clear advantage. Thus, technical complexity should be considered when selecting the surgical method.

Indexed as

Cervical VertebraeForaminotomyImaging, Three-DimensionalNeuronavigationRadiculopathyAdultAgedDecompression, SurgicalFemaleFluoroscopyHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID42385743
PMCPMC13476112

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.