Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37538029›Full record

ArticleOrthopaedic surgery2023

Risk Factors of Nonfusion after Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion in the Early Postoperative Period: A Retrospective Study.

Zihan Peng, Li Liu, Xiaqing Sheng, Hao Liu, Chen Ding, Beiyu Wang, Ying Hong, Xiaoli Pan, Yang Meng

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Orthopaedic surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Bone Fusion in the Cervical Spine: Where Are We Now?Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Preoperative three-dimensional simulation and clinical evaluation ofQuantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Zihan PengDepartment of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Li LiuDepartment of Orthopedics, West China Hospital/West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Xiaqing ShengDepartment of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Hao LiuDepartment of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5330-4193
Chen DingDepartment of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Beiyu WangDepartment of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Ying HongDepartment of Operating Room, West China Hospital/West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Xiaoli PanDepartment of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Yang MengDepartment of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8843-2240
Sichuan University · CN

Funding

,1·3·5 project for disciplines of excellence,West China Hospital,Sichuan University ZYJC21070Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province 2019YFQ0002Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program of China 22ZDYF1077
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveAlthough high fusion rates have been reported for anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) in the medium and long term, the risk of nonfusion in the early period after ACDF remains substantial. This study investigates early risk factors for cage nonfusion in patients undergoing single- or multi-level ACDF.

methodsThis was a retrospective study. From August 2020 to December 2021, 107 patients with ACDF, including 197 segments, were enrolled, with a follow-up of 3 months. Among the 197 segments, 155 were diagnosed with nonfusion (Nonfusion group), and 42 were diagnosed with fusion (Fusion group) in the early period after ACDF. We assessed the significance of the patient-specific factors, radiographic indicators, serum factors, and clinical outcomes. The Wilcoxon rank sum test, t-tests, analysis of variance, and stepwise multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis.

resultsUnivariate analysis showed that smoking, insufficient improvement in the C2-7 Cobb angle (p = 0.024) and the functional spinal unit Cobb angle (p = 0.022) between preoperative and postoperative stages and lower serum calcium (fusion: 2.34 ± 0.12 mmol/L; nonfusion: 2.28 ± 0.17 mmol/L, p = 0.003) β-carboxyterminal telopeptide end of type 1 collagen (β-CTX) (fusion: 0.51 [0.38, 0.71]; nonfusion: 0.43 [0.31, 0.57], p = 0.008), and N-terminal fragment of osteocalcin (N-MID-BGP) (fusion: 18.30 [12.15, 22.60]; nonfusion: 14.45 [11.65, 18.60], p = 0.023) are risk factors for nonfusion in the early period after ACDF. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that poor C2-7 Cobb angle improvement (odds ratio [OR], 1.107 [1.019-1.204], p = 0.017) and lower serum calcium (OR, 3.700 [1.138-12.032], p = 0.030) are risk factors.

conclusionsPatients with successful fusion after ACDF had higher preoperative serum calcium and improved C2-7 Cobb angle than nonfusion patients at 3 months. These findings suggest that serum calcium could be used to identify patients at risk of nonfusion following ACDF and that correcting the C2-7 Cobb angle during surgery could potentially increase fusion in the early period after ACDF.

Indexed as

Cervical VertebraeDecompression, SurgicalPostoperative ComplicationsSpinal FusionAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPostoperative PeriodRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsAnterior Cervical Decompression and FusionBone Turnover MarkerEarly PeriodNonfusionPseudarthrosisSerum Calcium

Identifiers

PMID37538029
PMCPMC10549804
OpenAlexW4385564508

What Socratic 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 Socratic graph.