Predictive performance of cervical elastography for preterm birth: A head-to-head network meta-analysis

Table 1 Characteristics of the included studies (n = 15)

Ref.	Country	Study design	Pregnancy status	Gestational weeks	Mean age (in years)	Sample size (PTB/TD)	Detection method	Ultrasonic diagnostic device
Zhang et al[14], 2021	China	Retrospective	Singleton pregnancy	16~28	22~41 (30.01 ± 4.03)	171 (24/147)	CL, IOS, IOS/EOS ratio, HR	Samsung Medison WS80A
Xiong et al[15], 2021	China	Retrospective	Singleton pregnancy	20~24	PTB: 26 (23.75, 27.00); TD: 26 (25.00, 27.00)	85 (40/45)	CL, IOS, ECI, EOS	Samsung Medison WS80A
Wang et al[16], 2022	China	Retrospective	Singleton pregnancy	14~28	20~36 (29.96 ± 3.01)	200 (31/169)	CL, ECI, IOS, IOS/EOS ratio, HR	Samsung Medison WS80A
Cha et al[17], 2022	Korea	Prospective	Singleton pregnancy	14~24	PTB: 33.8 ± 3.8; TD: 34.2 ± 3.8	66 (8/58)	CL, ECI, EOS, IOS, HR	Samsung Medison WS80A
Nazzaro et al[18], 2022	Italy	Retrospective	Singleton pregnancy	23~33	PTB: 28.9 ± 6.1; TD: 28.4 ± 6.1	95 (42/53)	CL, HR	Samsung Medison WS80A
Li et al[19], 2023	China	Retrospective	Singleton Pregnancy	14~27 and 28~36	PTB: 34 (29, 37); TD: 31 (28, 32)	149 (31/118)	HR	Samsung HERA W10/W9
Li et al[20], 2023	China	Retrospective	Singleton pregnancy	16~28 and 22~24	PTB: 24~37 (29.7 ± 3.6); TD: 24~37 (29.6 ± 3.6)	82 (14/68)	ACA, ECI, IOS/EOS ratio, HR	Samsung (NR)
Wu et al[21], 2024	China	Retrospective	Singleton and multiple pregnancy	18~27	23~40 (30.22 ± 4.03)	225 (105/120)	ECI, EOS, IOS	Samsung HERA W10
Liu et al[22], 2024	China	Prospective	Multiple pregnancy	18~24	21~40 (30.9 ± 3.8)	97 (35/62)	ACA, ECI, IOS, EOS, IOS/EOS ratio, HR	Samsung HERA W9
He et al[23], 2024	China	Prospective	Singleton pregnancy	18~24	PTB: 30.6 ± 3.2; TD: 30.2 ± 3.3	228 (26/202)	CL, EOS, IOS	Samsung Medison WS80A
Nazzaro et al[24], 2024	Italy	Retrospective	Multiple pregnancy	23~33	PTB: 27.9 ± 5.5; TD: 29.3 ± 6.2	63 (44/19)	CL, HR	Samsung Medison WS80A
Yu et al[25], 2025	China	Prospective	Multiple pregnancy	20~24	18~40 (32.50 ± 3.27)	130 (40/90)	CL, IOS, HR	Samsung HERA XW9
He et al[26], 2025	China	Retrospective	Singleton Pregnancy	16~28	22~40 (31.12 ± 4.06)	88 (21/67)	ACA, ECI, HR	Samsung (NR)
Ma et al[27], 2025	China	Retrospective	Singleton pregnancy	11~18	PTB: 29.10 ± 2.39; TD: 29.12 ± 2.36	136 (25/111)	CL, ACA, ECI, EOS, IOS, IOS/EOS ratio, HR	Samsung (NR)
Kwon et al[28], 2025	Korea	Prospective	Singleton and multiple pregnancy	24~34	PTB:34 (21, 40); TD: 33 (26, 42)	150 (84/66)	CL, ECI, IOS/EOS ratio	Samsung Medison WS80A

PTB: Preterm birth; TD: Term delivery; CL: Cervical length; ACA: Anterior cervical angle; ECI: Elasticity contrast index; IOS: Internal os strain; EOS: External os strain; HR: Hardness ratio.