BACKGROUND:It is unclearwhat kind of material for rotator cuff repair augmentation is the safest or most effective. OBJECTIVE:To review the basic research, clinical application and prospects of materials for rotator cuff repair augmentation. METHODS:Eligible studies were identified from electronic databases including EMbase, Medline, PubMed, OVID, Cochrane Library, Springerlink, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There are four kinds of patches used for rotator cuff augmentation: tendon patches, non-degradable patches, extracelular matrix-based patches and degradable synthetic patches. Tendon patches have good mechanical strength, but postoperative foreign body reactions and increasing risk of infection and unable to recover the normal structure are problems to be solved. Non-degradable patches also have good mechanical strength, but the long-term safety is unclear. Extracelular matrix-based patches remain a lower mechanical strength and have a higher failure rate. Degradable synthetic patches are proposed to overcome these previous issues by combining wel-adjusted mechanical properties with biological additives and minimize risk of infection by completely absorbing in a time-dependent manner. However, migration of bioactive cels, regulation of degradation rate and suppression of acidic degradation products is are existing problems to be solved.

BACKGROUND:A few studies have reported that autologous chondrocyte implantation is better than microfracture for treating cartilage defects of the knee. But there are few meta-analyses on the clinical outcomes of autologous chondrocyte implantation versus microfracture. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of autologous chondrocyte implantation versus microfracture in the treatment of cartilage defects of the knee based on existing clinical data. METHODS:A systematic search for control ed clinical trials or control ed prospective observational studies published from 1979 to January 2015 was done in electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register, Wanfang, CNKI and VIP. The literatures about the effects of autologous chondrocyte implantation versus microfracture in the treatment of cartilage defects of the knee were retrieved. We screened the retrieved literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and performed a Meta-analysis with the software RevMan 5.2 after identification of the relevant data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Eight studies were enrol ed according to the selection criteria, which revealed a statistical y significant difference, representing a clinical y relevant superiority of autologous chondrocyte implantation over microfracture, in IKDC scores at final fol ow-up [weighted mean difference (WMD),-9.93;95%confidence interval (CI):-13.16 to-5.43;P<0.000 01] and available scores at 5-year fol ow-up [standard mean difference (SMD),-0.30;95%CI: -0.55 to-0.05;P=0.02). In contrast, there were no significant differences, thus representing no clinical relevant superiority of microfracture versus autologous chondrocyte implantation, in Tegner scores at final fol ow-up (WMD=0.44;95%CI:0.04 to 0.84;P=0.03), Lysholm scores at final fol ow-up (WMD=-10.21;95%CI:-33.68 to 13.26;P=0.39), and available scores at 2-year fol ow-up (SMD=-0.25;95%CI:-0.92 to 0.43;P=0.47). These findings demonstrate that autologous chondrocyte implantation can result in a better long-term outcome than microfracgure. However, whether autologous chondrocyte implantation has a better treatment effect than microfracture in general needs more research.

BACKGROUND:A large number of studies have reported that endoscopic radiofrequency ablation surgeries were better than traditional open surgeries for gluteal muscle contracture, but there is no meta-analysis on the clinical outcomes of endoscopic surgeries versus traditional open surgeries.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of endoscopic radiofrequency ablation surgeries versus traditional open surgeries in the treatment of gluteal muscle contracture.
METHODS:Eligible studies were identified from electronic databases including EMbase, Medline, PubMed, OVID, Cochrane Library, Springerlink, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP between January 1970 and May 2014. The literatures about the clinical efficacy of endoscopic radiofrequency ablation surgeries versus traditional open surgeries in the treatment of gluteal muscle contracture were retrieved. We screened the retrieved literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and performed a Meta analysis with the software RevMan 5.2 after identification of the relevant data.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 830 patients from 14 studies were included for the analysis, including 394 patients who underwent endoscopic surgeries and 436 patients who underwent traditional open surgeries. Among the main outcomes measured, the incidence of postoperative pain (relative risk=0.33, 95%confidence interval (CI):0.27-0.42, P<0.001) and postoperative complications (odds ratio=0.40, 95%CI:0.23-0.70, P=0.001) in the endoscopic surgery group were significantly lower than that in the traditional open surgery group. The curative effects showed no significant difference between the two groups (odds ratio=1.09, 95%CI:0.52-2.26, P=0.82). Among the secondary outcomes measured, the incision length, postoperative off-bed activity time and postoperative hospitalization in the endoscopic surgery group were significantly better than that in the traditional open surgery group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the surgery duration and recurrence rate (P>0.05) between the two groups. Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation surgeries are similar to traditional open surgeries in the curative effects, recurrence rate and surgery duration, and are better than traditional open surgeries in the incisional length, postoperative pain, postoperative off-bed activity time, postoperative hospitalization and postoperative complication.