Association Between Prospective Registration and Quality of Systematic Reviews in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-epidemiological Study

Exploring Aesthetic Outcomes and Complications in Auricular Reconstruction Utilising Autologous Cartilage: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

Auricular reconstruction remains a challenging procedure, requiring a high degree of manual dexterity and attention to detail in order to reconstruct the complex three-dimensional geometry of the ear successfully. Most techniques will rely on autologous cartilage for auricular framework fabrication, carrying a risk of donor and recipient site morbidity. The aim of this report is to investigate the complications and aesthetic outcomes associated with autologous cartilage harvest in auricular reconstruction. A systematic review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting for Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Comprehensive electronic search strategies for four databases were developed. Studies were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. The literature search identified 7171 articles. Filtering for relevance and duplication reduced the number of articles to 52. A total of 12,215 patients underwent auricular reconstruction utilising autologous cartilage. Indications included 11,696 patients due to microtia, 334 patients due to burns or trauma, 70 patients due to constricted ears, and 115 patients due to prominent ears. The most commonly reported donor site complications included chest wall deformities (n = 159). The most commonly reported recipient site complications included hypertrophic or keloid scars (n = 279), haematoma (n = 155), tissue expander exposure (n = 111), cartilage or framework exposure (n = 122), and cartilage framework deformation or resorption (n = 50). Although a challenging procedure, auricular reconstruction utilising autologous cartilage is possible. Exceptional aesthetic results can be achieved when performed by a skilled surgeon on appropriately selected individuals. However, the potential risks and complications associated with the procedure should be discussed with the patient and family beforehand.

A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis on the use of autologous cartilage in the repair of orbital fractures

Introduction

Fractures of the orbit are common injuries within the maxillofacial skeleton, and can often result in restrictions to ocular movement, diplopia, and enophthalmous if herniation of globe content occurs. Various studies have demonstrated the use of autologous cartilage grafts in the reconstruction of orbital fractures.

Methods

A systematic review protocol was registered with PROSPERO, and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting for Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Comprehensive electronic search strategies of four databases were developed. Studies were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria by two independent reviewers.

Results

Seven thousand one hundred seventy-one articles were identified following a comprehensive literature search. These articles were filtered for relevance and duplication, which reduced the number of articles to 16. A total of 259 patients underwent orbital reconstruction with the use of autologous cartilage. Conchal cartilage was harvested in 148 patients, auricular cartilage in 22 patients, nasoseptal cartilage in 72 patients, and costal cartilage in 17 patients. Thirty, seven, twelve, and four complications were observed in patients where cartilage was harvested from the concha, auricle, nasoseptum and rib, respectively. Most common complications included diplopia (n=23), infra-orbital para/anaesthesia (n=27), and enophthalmos (n=7). No failure of graft or donor site morbidity were observed in the studies.

Conclusion

Autogenous materials such as cartilage can be used as an alternative for orbital reconstruction. Cartilage was considered by the authors to provide adequate structural support to the orbital contents, and that it was easy to harvest, shape, and position.

Bisphosphonate therapy in the management of diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis of the mandible: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Background

Diffuse sclerosing osteomyelitis (DSO) affecting the mandible is an uncommon condition characterised by recurrent pain and functional disturbances. Traditional treatments involving antibiotics, steroids, and analgesics have generally yielded unsatisfactory results. Numerous articles have proposed the utilisation of bisphosphonate therapy as an alternative approach to achieve sustained symptom relief. This study aims to consolidate the available evidence on the effectiveness of bisphosphonate therapy in managing DSO.

Methods

A systematic review protocol was registered with PROSPERO and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting for Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Comprehensive electronic search strategies were devised, and studies were screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

Ten articles met the eligibility criteria, encompassing a total of 135 patients diagnosed with DSO who received bisphosphonate treatment. All included studies consistently reported a reduction in pain levels and swelling, along with a decrease in the cumulative use of analgesics. The majority of patients reported long-lasting symptom improvement with bisphosphonate therapy. Notably, four studies documented improvements in maximal mouth opening, with one study reporting a mean increase of 9.6mm. Furthermore, six studies observed improvements in panoramic radiographs and cone beam computed tomography scans, with one publication describing two patients exhibiting near-normal bone architecture. Importantly, all studies reported the absence of long-term complications.

Conclusions

Bisphosphonate therapy emerges as a promising treatment modality for DSO, exhibiting efficacy in symptom alleviation and radiological enhancement while conferring lasting benefits. Nevertheless, further prospective studies are warranted to refine treatment protocols and substantiate these findings.

Quality of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of resveratrol: A methodological systematic review

Recently, several meta-analyses (MAs) have focused on the health effects of resveratrol. However, the methodological and reporting quality of these MAs has not yet been fully evaluated so far. Therefore, the present study evaluated the quality of these MAs through a methodological systematic review. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception until May 20, 2022, and PubMed was used to update the search until September 6, 2023. The methodological and reporting quality of the selected MAs was evaluated using AMSTAR-2 and PRISMA 2009. Fifty-one MAs published during 2013-2023 were included. In each review, the number of primary studies ranged from 3 to 37, and the number of participants ranged from 50 to 2114. Among the first-listed primary outcomes, only 23 (45.10%) were "positive." As for the methodological quality, most MAs (44, 86.27%) on resveratrol were rated critically low. Inadequate reporting of the included MAs mainly involved items 2 ("Structured summary"), 5 ("Protocol and registration"), 8 ("Search"), 9 ("Study selection"), 10 ("Data collection process"), 12 ("Risk of bias in individual studies"), and 24 ("Summary of evidence") based on the PRISMA 2009. Additionally, journal's impact factor, number of authors, and funding support were positively associated with the overall methodological quality but were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Future MAs on resveratrol require better design, implementation, and reporting by following the Cochrane Handbook, AMSTAR-2, and PRISMA.

Different Approaches to Appraising Systematic Reviews of Digital Interventions for Physical Activity Promotion Using AMSTAR 2 Tool: Cross-Sectional Study

High-quality systematic reviews (SRs) can strengthen the evidence base for prevention and health promotion. A 16-item AMSTAR 2 tool allows the appraisal of SRs by deriving a confidence rating in their results. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess and compare two approaches to appraising 30 SRs of digital interventions for physical activity (PA) promotion using AMSTAR 2. Approach 1 (appraisals with 2/16 items) was used to identify SRs with critically low confidence ratings. Approach 2 (appraisals with all 16 items) was used (1) to derive the confidence ratings, (2) to identify SR strengths and weaknesses, and (3) to compare SR strengths among subgroups of SRs. The appraisal outcomes were summarized and compared using descriptive statistics. Approach 1 was quick (mean of 5 min/SR) at identifying SRs with critically low confidence ratings. Approach 2 was slower (mean of 20 min/SR), but allowed to identify SR strengths and weaknesses. Approach 2 showed that confidence ratings were low to critically low in 29/30 SRs. More strengths were identified in SRs with review protocols relative to SRs without review protocols and in newer SRs (published after AMSTAR 2 release) relative to older SRs. Only two items on AMSTAR 2 can quickly identify SRs with critical weaknesses. Although most SRs received low to critically low confidence ratings, SRs with review protocols and newer SRs tended to have more strengths. Future SRs require review protocols and better adherence to reporting guidelines to improve the confidence in their results.

A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis on the risk factors for developing affective disorders in open lower-limb fracture patients

Background

Despite the advancements made in the management of the physical complications of open lower-limb fractures, few studies have been performed which investigate the association of such injuries with affective disorders. The complications resulting from this injury may result in significant psychological distress.

Aim

To evaluate the risk factors associated with the development of affective disorders, in patients with open lower-limb fractures.

Methods

A systematic review protocol was registered with PROSPERO and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting for Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. A comprehensive literature search was performed to gather relevant papers. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

2488 were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria resulting in seven articles eligible for inclusion. Of the seven articles, two assessed for PTSD, one assessed for depression and PTSD concurrently, two assessed for anxiety and depression concurrently, and two assessed for psychological distress. With the exception of two studies, open lower limb fracture patients were included with other lower-limb injuries in their analysis. Furthermore, not all variables were available in all included studies. Risk factors identified included post-operative pain, mechanism and severity of injury, age of patient, social support and social deprivation.

Conclusions

Further studies are required within this area. However, addressing risk factors such as pain management, poor social support and inappropriate coping mechanisms, may reduce the incidence of affective disorders by equipping patients with necessary psychosocial resources.

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Patients with strong social support have, in general, a lower risk of depression and psychological distress.

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Poverty is a risk factor in general for psychological distress.

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Negative affect may play an important role in determining physical function during the recovery period.

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In most patients, symptoms of psychological distress improve over time.

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Not all patients may display symptoms of psychological distress immediately post-injury.

Chinese Medicine as an Adjunctive Treatment for Gastric Cancer: Methodological Investigation of meta-Analyses and Evidence Map

Background: Many meta-analyses (MAs) on Chinese medicine (CM) as an adjunctive treatment for gastric cancer have been published in recent years. However, the pooled evidence reported in MAs and their methodological quality remain unknown. Therefore, we designed a study to comprehensively evaluate and summarize the current evidence of CMs for gastric cancer in published MAs.

Methods: A systematic search on MAs published in English from inception to 1st September 2021 was conducted in PubMed and Embase. The AMSTAR-2 tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included MAs, and the results of the quality assessment were visualized using the evidence mapping method. Stata 17/SE was used for statistical analysis (Registration number: INPLASY202190005).

Results: A total of 20 MAs (16 pairwise and 4 network MAs) were included from 118 records. These MAs were published in 14 journals from 2013 to 2021, with the number of patients and trials ranging from 688 to 6,857, and from 10 to 85, respectively. A large number of CMs (e.g., AiDi, FuFangKuShen, and HuaChanSu) in combination with chemotherapy for gastric cancer were identified among the included MAs. According to the pooled results reported in MAs, when compared to chemotherapy alone, CMs in combination with chemotherapy not only improve various outcomes on efficacy (e.g., objective response rate, quality of life) but also reduce various adverse reactions (e.g., leucopenia, nausea and vomiting). Only 2 MAs were low in terms of the overall methodological quality, while the other 18 MAs were all critically low. The methodology was required to be advanced significantly, mainly involving: study protocol and registration, explanation for the inclusion of study design, list of excluded studies with justifications, adequate details of included studies, reporting on funding sources of primary studies, and evaluation of the potential impact of risk of bias. In addition, MAs that received funds support (β = 2.68; 95%CI: 0.40 to 4.96; p = 0.024) or were published in journals with higher impact factor (β = 2.81; 95%CI: 0.69 to 4.92; p = 0.012) had a higher score on the overall methodological quality in the univariate analysis, but the results were not statistically significant according to the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion: Combining CMs with chemotherapy can potentially improve clinical outcomes and reduce the relevant adverse effects in patients with gastric cancer. However, the methodological quality of relevant MAs requires significant improvement, and the current evidence needs to be validated through multinational trials that are well-designed and have a large sample size.