Surgical Management of Missed Pediatric Monteggia Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Objectives: To review surgical management and outcomes of missed pediatric Monteggia fractures.

Data sources: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the Cochrane Library from inception through March 2, 2020. The keywords were "Monteggia fracture," "missed Monteggia," "neglected Monteggia," "chronic Monteggia," and "chronic radial head dislocation."

Study selection: All original human studies on missed pediatric Monteggia fractures were included. Congenital Monteggia fractures and isolated radial head dislocations were excluded.

Data extraction: The revised Methodological Index for Nonrandomised Studies tool was used to assess the quality of studies.

Data synthesis: Each patient's data were retrieved individually. The χ2 test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze the difference in outcomes for different surgical managements. Multivariate analysis was performed for variables that were significant on univariate analysis.

Conclusions: Thirty studies with 600 patients were included. Proximal ulnar osteotomies (P = 0.016) and the absence of transcapitellar pinning (P = 0.001) were the most significant predictors for eventual reduction of radial head. Other surgical management variables were not significant predictors. These include open or closed reduction approach of radial head reduction; presence or absence of ulnar osteotomy; presence or absence of lengthening, angular correction, overcorrection, or bone grafting of ulnar osteotomy; type of fixation for ulnar osteotomy; presence or absence of radial osteotomy; presence or absence of annular ligament repair or reconstruction; and repair or reconstruction of annular ligament.

Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.