A systematic review on the reporting of outcome data in studies on autologous osteochondral transplantation for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review studies on autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) for osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talus and descriptively analyze the outcome data reported to determine whether it is consistent from one study to another and able to be pooled for systematic review. METHODS: A systematic electronic search was performed using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Studies that were published between January 1966 and June 2011 were included in the review. Only studies that reported data specifically on AOT for treatment of OCLs of the talus and written in English were included in this review. A predefined data sheet with 36 variables was created, and it was determined whether or not each of those variables were reported or not reported. The 36 variables were then grouped into 6 categories, and the categorical means were reported. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included in this systematic review. The categories of general demographics and study design were generally well reported (each more than 80% of studies). Patient-reported outcomes and clinical variables were reported less in 73% and 67% of studies, respectively. The least-reported categories were patient history (45%) and imaging data (49%). CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistencies and an underreporting of data were apparent between studies, such that pooling was deemed not possible. An effort must be made by investigators to ensure that there is adequate reporting of data in studies of AOT treatment for OCLs of the talus.

Duke Scholars

Author Christopher David Murawski Orthopaedic Surgery