Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42893425›Full record

ReviewGlobal spine journal2026

Lumbar Facet Joint Morphology and Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Alberto Suarez, Justin Gumbs, Michelle Schmidt, Zeena Shather, Hanna Neustadter, Dominic Lafalce, Marissa Middleton, Jaden Wise, Isabella Merem, Maohua Lin and 1 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Global spine journal, 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.

Alberto SuarezCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Justin GumbsCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Michelle SchmidtCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Zeena ShatherCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Hanna NeustadterCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Dominic LafalceCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Marissa MiddletonCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-1253-7582
Jaden WiseCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1479-4599
Isabella MeremCollege of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Maohua LinDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Frank D VrionisDepartment of Neurosurgery, Marcus Neuroscience Institute, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Boca Raton, FL, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Study DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.ObjectivesTo evaluate the associations between lumbar facet orientation, facet tropism, and degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS), while assessing sex-specific differences in facet morphology.MethodsA PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261417450). PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science were searched through June 2026. Studies evaluating lumbar facet morphology in adults with DLS were included. Random-effects meta-analyses using restricted maximum likelihood estimation and Hartung-Knapp adjustment were performed. Risk of bias and evidence certainty were assessed.ResultsThirty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen studies (3,321 participants) were included in the facet orientation meta-analysis. Patients with DLS demonstrated more sagittally oriented facet joints than controls (SMD 1.30, 95% CI 0.78-1.82; p < 0.0001; I

Indexed as

degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesislumbar facet orientationlumbar facet sex differenceslumbar facet tropismmeta-analysisSpondylolisthesis

Identifiers

PMID42893425
PMCPMC13677985

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.