The Prevalence of Asymptomatic Cervical Spinal Cord Compression in Individuals Presenting With Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Meta-Analysis.
Publication/Presentation Date
4-1-2024
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic cervical spinal cord compression (CSCC) in individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).
METHODS: A systematic electronic search was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science without language restriction, with no starting date limit to June 8, 2023, to define the prevalence of asymptomatic CSCC in symptomatic LSS patients. Asymptomatic CSCC was defined based on radiographic studies. All types of studies were included in the review. Meta-analysis was performed on the reported prevalence of asymptomatic CSCC in LSS.
RESULTS: The database search yielded 10,272 articles. After a full-text review, five studies were included in the final review, comprising a total of 1043 cases. Two studies had a low risk for bias, two moderate, and one estimated to be high risk. The range of prevalence of asymptomatic CSCC in LSS in the five included studies was between 24% and 61%. Meta-analysis on the reported prevalence of asymptomatic CSCC patients with symptomatic LSS demonstrated that the random pooled prevalence was 35% (95% CI: 23 to 48).
CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic CSCC appears to occur in a high number of patients, with this study noting its presence in one-third of patients with LSS. Based on these findings, we strongly recommend that spine surgeons exercise particular caution during the positioning of patients who are undergoing surgery for lumbar stenosis. Furthermore, it is imperative to monitor individuals with symptomatic LSS closely for any potential signs of emerging myelopathy.
Volume
14
Issue
3
First Page
1052
Last Page
1060
ISSN
2192-5682
Published In/Presented At
Farahbakhsh, F., Khosravi, S., Baigi, V., Pourghahramani Koltapeh, M., Khayyamfar, A., Eskandari, Z., Ghodsi, Z., Harrop, J., & Rahimi-Movaghar, V. (2024). The Prevalence of Asymptomatic Cervical Spinal Cord Compression in Individuals Presenting With Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Meta-Analysis. Global spine journal, 14(3), 1052–1060. https://doi.org/10.1177/21925682231202776
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
37731268
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article