Background: Currently there is significant controversy regarding which fixation method is most effective for the treatment of syndesmotic ankle injuries.
Objective: This meta-analysis was designed to compare the metal screw, dynamic, and bioabsorbable screw fixation methods for treatment of syndesmotic ankle injuries.
Methods: An online search for RCT and prospective/retrospective clinical comparison studies between January 1998 and December 2018 on syndesmotic fixation was conducted. The main parameters collected include functional scores, mean time to full weightbearing, postoperative tibiofibular clear spaces, tibiofibular overlap, medial clear spaces, and complication rates. Statistical analysis was conducted using One Way ANOVAs and Chi-Squared tests using Review Manager and Excel.
Results: A total of 18 comparison studies, with 509 patients in the metal screw fixation group, 275 in the dynamic fixation group, and 226 in the bioabsorbable screw fixation group, were included in this meta-analysis. For the metal screw group, dynamic fixation group, and bioabsorbable screw group, the mean AOFAS score were 83.8, 87.2, and 84.3 (p < 0.05), the mean time to full weightbearing were 9.0 weeks, 7.2 weeks, and 7.7 weeks (p < 0.05), and the complication rates were 0.19, 0.09, and 0.19, respectively (p < 0.05). Similarly, the mean postoperative TFCS were 4.85, 3.87, and 5.70 for the metal screw group, dynamic fixation group, and bioabsorbable screw fixation group, respectively (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The dynamic fixation group was found to have significantly improved functional scores, lower complication rates, and lower mean time to full weight-bearing than the metal screw and bioabsorbable screw fixation methods.
Level of evidence: Meta-analysis of all relevant Level 1-3 Evidence Comparative Studies.
Keywords: Bioabsorbable syndesmotic screw; Meta-analysis; Metal syndesmotic screw; Suture button; Syndesmotic ankle injuries; TightRope.