Table 1.
Details of the studies included in the review, including level of evidence, demographic details, method of bone preparation, fixation method, treatment and follow-up protocol
| Paper Type and Name | Level of Evidence | Joint No | Sex | Age | Follow up Period | Follow Up Protocol | Fusion Position | Bone End Preparation | Bone Grafting | Period of Immobilisation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headless Compression Screw | ||||||||||
| Konan [12] | Level IV | 38 | 9 M 26 F | 59 (30–83) | minimum 6 months | Stated | 0 | flat | none | Splint for 6 weeks |
| Song [13] | Level IV | 23 | 6 M 16 F | 54 (22–77) | not stated | Stated | 0–10 | flat | none | None |
| Brutus [14] | Level IV | 27 | 10 M, 12 F | 47 (38–60) | minimum 3 months | Stated | 0–10 | flat | none | Splinting for 2–4 weeks |
| Iwamoto [15] | Level IV | 28 | 2 M 21 F | 65 (58–74) | minimum 6 months | Stated | 0–10 | flat | none | Splint for 2 weeks |
| Cox [16] | Level IV | 48 | 5 M, 24 F | 59 (35–80) | 12 months (2–50) | Not stated | zero | flat | none | 6 weeks |
| Villani [17] | Level IV | 102 | 3 M, 56 F | 61 (43–80) | minimum of 7 months | Not stated | 0 | flat | none | 4–8 weeks |
| Ruchelsman [18] | Level IV | 2 | 1 M 1 F | 27, 79 | minimum 6 weeks | Not stated | 0 | flat | none | initially! |
| Matsumoto [19] | Level IV | 89 | 3 M, 57 F | 62 (36–89) | minimum 5 months | Not stated | 0 | flat | none | Splint for 6 weeks |
| El-Hadidi [20] | Level IV | 13 | 8 M, 5 F | 26 (15–51) | minimum 3 years | Not stated | 0 | flat | none | none stated |
| Faithfull [11] | Level IV | 11 | Not Stated | Not Stated | Not Stated | Not stated | flat | none | None | |
| Kocak [21] | Level IV | 64 | M 17 34 F | 57 (19–89) | minimum 3 months | Not stated | 0 | cup and cone | none | Splint for 2 days |
| Lamas-Gomez [22] | Level IV | 20 | 6 M 14 F | 53 (22–73) | minimum 6 months | Not stated | 10 | flat | none | 10 days |
| Stern [23] | Level III | 27 | Not Calculable | Not Calculable | Not Calculable | Not stated | Not Stated | flat | none | Not Stated |
| Headless Compression Screw Total | 1 Level III, 12 Level IV | 492 | Not Calculable | Not Calculable | Variable | Variable | Up to 10° | Variable | None | Variable |
| K-wire Studies | ||||||||||
| Carroll [3] | Level IV | 79 | not stated | not stated | not stated | Not stated | 25 | cup and cone | none | 6 weeks |
| Engel [24] | Level III | 15 | not stated | not stated | not stated | Stated | 0 | cup and cone | none | 4–12 weeks |
| Moberg [1] | Level IV | 21 | not stated | not stated | not stated | Not stated | Not stated | flat | Yes | not stated |
| Pribyl [2] | Level IV | 4 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | not stated | Not stated | not stated | chevron | none | until fusion occurred |
| Burton [25] | Level IV | 59 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | not stated | Stated | 10–20 | flat | Yes | 3–5 weeks |
| Stern [23] | Level III | 111 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | Not stated | Not stated | flat | not stated | not stated | |
| Lewis [4] | Level IV | 57 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | until fusion occurred | Stated | Not stated | tenon | none | Splint for 6 weeks |
| K-Wire Total | 2 Level III, 5 Level IV | 346 | Not Calculable | Not Calculable | Variable | Variable | Up to 25° | Variable | Variable | Variable |
| Headed Screw Studies | ||||||||||
| Engel [24] | Level III | 15 | not stated | not stated | not stated | Stated | 0 | not stated | none | 1 week |
| Olivier [26] | Level IV | 18 | Not able to separate | 48 (15–72) | minimum 6 months | Not stated | 0 | Flat | Bone chips | 4 weeks |
| Teoh [27] | Level IV | 14 | 15 M 7 F | 35.4 (19–64) | minimum 2 months | Not stated | 25 | flat | none | None |
| Headed Screw Total | 1 Level III, 2 Level IV | 47 | Not Calculable | Not Calculable | Variable | Variable | Up to 25° | Variable | Variable | Variable |
| Plate Study | ||||||||||
| Mantovani [28] | 1 Level IV | 15 | 8 M, 3 F | 41 (23–73) | minimum 18 months | Not Stated | 0–5 | Flat | None | 1 week |
| Interosseous Wire Studies | ||||||||||
| Stern [23] | Level III | 43 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | not able to separate | Not Stated | Not stated | flat | not stated | not stated |
| Shanker [29] | Level IV | 37 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | not able to separate | Not Stated | Not stated | flat | none | None |
| Lister [30] | Level IV | 33 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | not stated | Not Stated | not stated | variable | none | not stated |
| Stahl [31] | Level IV | 20 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | minimum 18 months | Not Stated | Not stated | flat | none | 4–6 days |
| Zavitsanos [32] | Level IV | 24 | not stated | 58 (29–78) | minimum 18 weeks | Not Stated | 0 | flat | none | not stated |
| Interosseous Wire Total | 1 Level III, 4 Level IV | 114 | Not calculable | Not Calculable | Variable | Not Stated | Not stated | Variable | None | Variable |
| External Fixator Studies | ||||||||||
| Leonard [33] | Level IV | 16 | Not able to separate | 22–65 | not stated | Not stated | Not stated | ball and socket | none | 6 weeks whilst ex-fix on! |
| Seitz [34] | Level IV | 4 | 3 M, 1 F | 54 (47–66) | not stated | Stated | not stated | cup and cone | none | 4–6 weeks (Ex-FIX in situ) |
| Wexler [35] | Level IV | 11 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | not stated | Not stated | not stated | flat | none | 4 weeks |
| Ex Fix Total | 3 Level IV | 31 | Not Calculable | Not Calulable | not stated | Variable | Not stated | Variable | None | 4–6 weeks |
| Resorbable pegs Studies | ||||||||||
| Sabbagh [36] | Level IV | 15 | Not able to separate | not able to separate | minimum 2 years | Not stated | 30–50 | flat | none | 2 weeks |
| Arata [37] | Level IV | 16 | 11 M 5 F | 49 (21–64) | minimum 2 months | Stated | 0–20 | flat | none | 3 weeks |
| Harrison [38] | Level IV | 6 | not stated | not stated | not stated | Not stated | not stated | flat | none | 14 days |
| Resorbable pegs total | 3 Level IV | 37 | Not Calculable | Not Calculable | Variable | Variable | Up to 50° | Flat | None | up to 3 weeks |