Table 1.
Key features of included studies
| Name | Design | Patients (knees) | Interventions | Follow-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| External fixation | ORIF | ||||
| Ahearn [14] | Retrospective | 21 | 34 | External fixation: Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF)a
ORIF: Incision: Unknown. Fixation: Lateral locking plate ± medial plate fixation |
External fixation: mean 31 months (range 12–58 months) ORIF: mean 41 months (range 12–64 months) |
| Boston Mallik [29] Covall [26] |
Retrospective | 10 (10) | 7 (7) | External fixation: Monticelli-Spinellib circular fixator ORIF: Incision: Unknown. Fixation: Bilateral buttress, semi-tubular plates, or cannulated screws |
External fixation: mean 10 months (range 5–28 months) ORIF: mean 33 months (range 6–60 months) |
| Chertsey Guryel [34] Nawaz [33] |
Retrospective | (79) | (45) | External fixation: Ilizarov circular frame ORIF: Incision: Unknown. Fixation: Unknown |
Unknown |
| COTS McKee [30] Pirani [32] |
Randomized controlled trial | 42 (43) | 40 (40) | External fixation: Closed/percutaneous/limited reduction, percutaneous lag screw, and Ilizarov circular frame ORIF: Incision: Single anterior or combined medial/lateral. Fixation: medial and lateral non-locking buttress plates ± iliac crest bone grafting |
6, 12, and 24 months post-injury |
| Chan [25] | Retrospective | 34 (35) | 24 (24) | External fixation: Ilizarov circular frame (23/35, 65.7 %), Hoffman IIb with limited internal fixation (13/35, 37.1 %) ORIF: Incision: Unknown. Fixation: Buttress plate (21/24, 84 %), Less Invasive Stabilization Systemc (4/24, 16 %) |
3, 6, 12, and 24 months post-injury |
| Jansen [5] | Retrospective | 2 (2) | 20 (21) | External fixation: Synthes AOc fixator or Ilizarov circular frame ORIF: Incision: Unknown. Fixation: LISSc (19/20, 95.0 %) ± additional plates (7/20, 30.4 %) ± artificial bone substitute (7/20, 30.4 %) |
Mean 67 months (range 36–109 months) |
| Krupp [28] | Retrospective | 30 (30) | 28 (28) | External fixation: Hoffman II Hybridb (16/28, 57.1 %) or circular (14/28, 50.0 %) frames and interval ORIF (locking plate or LISSc) ORIF: Incision: Unknown. Fixation: locking plate (8/28, 28.6 %), LISSc (20/28, 71.4 %) |
Mean unknown (range 6–53 months) |
aSmith and Nephew Ltd, Brough, United Kingdom
bStryker Corporation, Kalamazoo, MI
cDePuy Synthes Companies, West Chester, PA