Methodological Quality Assessment of Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews of the Relationship Between Periodontal and Systemic Diseases

ObjectivesThe aims of this article are to identify all the published systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) that studied the relationship between periodontal and systemic diseases and to assess their quality using 2 scales (the Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire [OQAQ] and A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews [AMSTAR] checklist).MethodsFor SRs and MAs to be included, they should have investigated one of the following systemic diseases: pulmonary conditions, cardiac conditions, endocrine conditions, cancer, blood disorders, psychological conditions, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and several other diseases. Two investigators screened MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The tools used to evaluate quality were the AMSTAR scale and OQAQ. The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018102208).ResultsThe search strategy found 691 unique articles, 42 of which met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Diabetes mellitus was the most investigated disease (14 out of 42 studies), followed by obesity (11 studies) and cardiovascular diseases (5 studies). A total of 40 reviews reported on the characteristics of included studies, and, as per the AMSTAR scale, 39 reviews had an a priori design. The number of reviews that fulfilled the status of publication criterion was the lowest (7 reviews only), followed by the number used in the assessment of publication bias (11 reviews). The number of high-quality reviews was higher with the OQAQ than with the AMSTAR checklist (33 vs 25 studies), but the AMSTAR showed a higher number of medium-quality reviews than the OQAQ (14 vs 6 studies). Both showed the same number of low-quality reviews.ConclusionsHigh-quality SRs and MAs are crucial to understanding the relationship between systemic and periodontal diseases. Medical practitioners must be able to inform patients about oral health and specific periodontal health concerns.     

The patellar ligament: A comprehensive review

The patellar ligament (PL) is an epiphyseal ligament and is part of the extensor complex of the knee. The ligament has gained attention due to its clinical relevance to autograft and tendinopathy. A variety of anatomical variations of the PL such as aplasia, numerical variations, and vascularity are being reported recently by clinicians and anatomists. The aim of this literature was to review the available literature to provide a consensus regarding anatomic variations of the PL, neurovasculature surrounding the PL, histology of the PL, and various aspects of PL measurements with relevance to the surgical considerations and sex and age-related differences. A narrative review of the patellar ligament was performed by conducting a detailed literature search and review of relevant articles. A total of 90 articles on the patellar ligament were included and were categorized into studies based on anatomical variations, neurovasculature, morphometrics, microanatomy, sex and age-related difference, and ACL reconstruction. The anatomical variations and morphometrics of the PL were found to correlate with the frequency of strain injuries, tendinopathy, and efficacy of the PL autograft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The sex differences in PL measurements and the effect of estrogen on collagen synthesis explained a higher incidence of patellar tendinopathy in women. An awareness of its variations enables careful selection of surgical incisions, thereby avoiding complications related to nerve injury. Accurate knowledge of the PL microanatomy assists in understanding the mechanism of ligament degeneration, rupture, autograft harvesting, and ligamentization results.     

Dorsal suspension for Morton’s neuroma: A comparison with neurectomy

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the clinical outcomes of dorsal suspension with those of neurectomy for the treatment of Morton’s neuroma.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of dorsal suspension and neurectomy group. The dorsal suspension was performed by dorsal transposition of neuroma over the dorsal transverse ligament after neurolysis. The visual analog scale (VAS), the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), postoperative satisfaction, and complications were evaluated.ResultsBoth groups reported significant pain relief, and there were no significant differences between the groups with respect to postoperative pain. The postoperative FAAM outcomes showed no significant between-group differences. Satisfaction analysis showed ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ results in the dorsal suspension and neurectomy groups (95% and 77.7%, respectively). Complications of numbness and paresthesia reported in the dorsal suspension group (5% and 5%, respectively) were significantly fewer than those of neurectomy group (61.1% and 33.3%, respectively) (both, p < .05).ConclusionsWith its favorable results, dorsal suspension can be another operative option for the treatment of Morton’s neuroma.Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative case series.     

Evaluation of the anterolateral ligament of the knee by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament rupture

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the visibility of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture.Materials and methodsThis retrospective case – control study compared 1.5 - T MRI scans for 50 patients with a chronic ACL rupture with those of a control group of 50 patients with an intact ACL. The ALL was evaluated in three portions: femoral, meniscal, and tibial. The status of each portion was classified as visualized or non-visualized. Two radiologists separately reviewed all the MRI scans to evaluate interobserver reliability.ResultsAt least one portion of the ALL was visualized in 100% of the control group and 72% of the chronic ACL rupture group. All three portions of the ALL were identified in 72% of the control group but only 10% of the chronic ACL rupture group. In both groups, the most commonly visualized portion was the meniscal portion and the least visualized was the tibial portion. In 18% of the chronic ACL rupture group, no portion of the ALL was visualized.ConclusionsThe visibility of the ALL of the knee was significantly lower in patients with a chronic ACL rupture than in those with an intact one.     

关节镜下TightRope治疗后交叉韧带撕脱骨折

目的探讨关节镜下使用TightRope治疗后交叉韧带(PCL)撕脱骨折的技术应用和临床疗效。方法 12例膝关节PCL撕脱骨折患者在关节镜下使用TightRope固定PCL撕脱骨块。术后1周开始在支具保护下被动活动膝关节,术后10个月评估膝关节功能恢复情况。结果 12例患者均获随访,时间10～14个月,平均12.6个月,骨折均Ⅰ期愈合。1例屈膝受限15°,无伸膝受限;2例后抽屉试验(+)。Lysholm膝关节功能评分术前(45.6±6.3)分,术后10个月(87.8±4.8)分,差异有统计学意义(P 0.05)。结论关节镜下使用TightRope治疗PCL撕脱骨折固定可靠,操作相对简单,疗效满意。