Effects of Different Surgical Procedures on the Therapeutic Effects, Prognosis, and Major Complications of Acetabular Fractures in the Elderly of China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Different surgical approaches were systematically evaluated to provide an evidence-based medical rationale for the application and promotion of acetabular fractures in the elderly of China.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of different surgical methods in the treatment of elderly acetabular fractures were searched in the PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, China Knowledge Network Database (CNKI), China VIP Database, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM). The search time threshold was set from the time the database was created to the current time. Investigators obtained data independently, and the bias risk of each included writing was reviewed using the Cochrane Manual 5.1.0 criterion. The meta data was analyzed using RevMan 5.4 statistical package.

RESULTS

6 RCT articles were included in the end. A total of 445 samples were analyzed by meta. All the six RCT literatures included in this meta-analysis reported the baseline status of patients, only 3 RCT mentioned "random assignment" without any explanation, and the rest did not mention "random" information. The five studies included all gave detailed intervention measures. The number and reasons of blind method and lost follow-up or withdrawal were not described in detail in 6 RCT articles. Through the meta-analysis excellent and good rate between the experimental group and the control group through 6 RCT studies, the heterogeneity test results were chi2 = 6.11, df = 4, P = 0.19 > 0.05, and I2 = 35%, without obvious heterogeneity at Z = 2.68 and P = 0.007. These results suggested that the total hip arthroplasty application has the same excellent rate as other surgical treatment methods, indicating that total hip arthroplasty has a significant effect on the treatment of elderly acetabular fractures. Through the meta-analysis hip-joint function score, the heterogeneity test results were chi2 = 56.16, df = 4, P < 0.00001, and I 2 = 93%, with obvious heterogeneity. The great difference was discovered in hip function score between total hip arthroplasty and other surgical methods, showing that total hip arthroplasty can greatly improve hip-joint function. Then, the incidence of hip complications between the experimental cases and the control cases was calculated by meta. The heterogeneity test results were chi2 = 3.17, df = 4, P = 0.53 > 0.05, and I 2 = 0%, without remarkable heterogeneity at Z = 3.05 and P = 0.002. This demonstrated that a significant difference was observed in the complication incidence, indicating that total hip arthroplasty displayed a lower incidence of hip-joint functional complications.

CONCLUSION

Total hip arthroplasty has a good prognosis and a low complication rate in the treatment of acetabular fractures in the elderly. However, more studies and longer follow-ups are needed to further validate the findings of this study.