Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41938705›Full record

ArticleNorth American Spine Society journal2026

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist use and clinical outcomes after posterior cervical spinal fusion for degenerative pathologies: A large cohort retrospective analysis.

Christian Rajkovic, Ankita Jain, Mahnoor Shafi, Oserekpamen Omobhude, Tej Azad, Austin Carpenter, Timothy F Witham, Merritt D Kinon, John V Wainwright

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in North American Spine Society 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.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

9 authors.

Christian RajkovicSchool of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, United States.
Ankita JainSchool of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, United States.
Mahnoor ShafiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Oserekpamen OmobhudeSchool of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, United States.
Tej AzadDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Austin CarpenterDepartment of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, 100 Woods Road, 4th Floor, Valhalla, NY 10595, United States.
Timothy F WithamDepartment of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Merritt D KinonDepartment of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, 100 Woods Road, 4th Floor, Valhalla, NY 10595, United States.
John V WainwrightDepartment of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, 100 Woods Road, 4th Floor, Valhalla, NY 10595, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have emerged as potentially impactful agents in improving spinal fusion outcomes. While several recent studies have investigated the effect of these agents on lumbar spinal procedures, the current evidence of the impact of these agents on cervical spinal fusion is limited. This study aims to investigate the impact of GLP-1RA use on perioperative clinical outcomes of posterior cervical spinal fusion. Methods: This analysis queried the TriNetX Research Network to identify patients receiving posterior cervical spinal fusion for degenerative pathology. Patients on GLP-1RAs for at least 12 weeks prior to the surgery were compared to patients who were never on GLP-1RAs. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed for preoperative clinical characteristics and prior spine procedures. Investigated outcomes included postoperative pseudoarthrosis, readmission, reoperation, cervicalgia, radiculopathy, myelopathy, mortality, cerebrospinal fluid leak, infection, and implant failure at 1-year follow-up. Results: A total of 737 patients with preoperative GLP-1RA use and 18,882 patients with no GLP-1RA use were identified. Prior to propensity score matching, patients on GLP-1RAs had a significantly higher risk of postoperative radiculopathy (p<.001), infection (p=.013), and readmission (p<.001), with a significantly reduced risk of pseudoarthrosis (p=.002). After propensity score matching, the risk of radiculopathy remained significantly elevated in the GLP-1RA cohort (hazard ratio: 1.367, 95% CI: 1.110-1.684, p=.003). The incidence of pseudoarthrosis remained significantly reduced in the GLP-1RA cohort (2.7% vs. 5.2%, p=.019), while a reduced risk of pseudoarthrosis trended toward significance (hazard ratio: 0.586, 95% CI: 0.336-1.022, p=.057). Conclusions: Preoperative GLP-1RA use was associated with increased postoperative risk of radiculopathy and decreased rates of pseudoarthrosis. The findings from this investigation may help optimize medical and surgical decision-making for posterior cervical spinal fusion patients on GLP-1 agonists.

Indexed as

Cervical spinal fusionGlucagon-like peptide-1LiraglutidePseudoarthrosisSemaglutideSpine surgery

Identifiers

PMID41938705
PMCPMC13049663

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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.