Table 5.
Results of meta-analysis of clinical and complication outcome measures for anterior versus posterior surgery for multilevel OPLL patients
| Outcomes | No. of studies | No. of patients | Statistical method | Effect of estimate (95% CI)b | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The final follow-up JOA score follow-up time <5 years | 2 | 126 | WMD | 1.99 [−1.23, 5.21] | 0.05a |
| 2. Recovery rate (%) follow-up time <5 years | 3 | 117 | WMD | 29.48 [29.09, 29.87] | 0.05a |
| 3. Excellent to good’ result | 3 | 146 | OR | 1.27 [0.63, 2.54] | 0.05 |
| 3.1 Follow-up time <5 years | 2 | 53 | OR | 3.38 [1.06, 10.84] | 0.05a |
| 3.2 Follow-up time >5 years | 1 | 93 | OR | 0.67 [0.27, 1.67] | 0.05 |
| 4. Fair to poor result | 3 | 146 | OR | 0.56 [0.13, 2.42] | 0.05 |
| 4.1. Follow-up time <5 years | 2 | 53 | OR | 0.29 [0.05, 1.58] | 0.05 |
| 4.2. Follow-up time >5 years | 1 | 93 | OR | 1.50 [0.60, 3.72] | 0.05 |
| 5. Complications | 3 | 193 | OR | 3.12 [1.60, 6.07] | 0.05a |
| 5.1. Follow-up time <5 years | 2 | 100 | OR | 4.44 [1.80, 10.98] | 0.05a |
| 5.2. Follow-up time >5 years | 1 | 93 | OR | 1.89 [0.67, 5.34] | 0.05 |
WMD weighted mean difference, OR odds ratio, CI confidence interval
aStatistically significant
bEffect of estimate. If effect estimate is positive (>0), it means anterior group is more than posterior group. If it is negative (<0), it means anterior group is less than posterior group; whether it is significant lies on P value