SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2024
A systematic review on how to diagnose deltoid ligament injuries-are we missing a uniform standard?
Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A systematic review on how to treat deltoid ligament injuries - are we missing a uniform standard?BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Deltoid ligament injury: thinking beyond the ankle - an expert opinion.EFORT open reviews · 2026Article
- The Diagnosis, Treatment, and Aftercare of Ankle Fractures.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2026Review
- Arthroscopic Repair of Acute Proximal Detachment of the Medial Collateral Ligament in a Complex Ankle Sprain.Arthroscopy techniques · 2026Article
- Arthroscopic Management of Medial or Rotational Ankle Instability: A Comprehensive Review of Current Evidence.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUp to now, there is no convincing evidence, that surgical treatment of deltoid ligament injuries, especially in the setting of ankle fractures, does result in improved outcome. One reason could be a missing diagnostic standard. The aim of the current systematic review was to analyze the applied diagnostic strategies for acute deltoid ligament injuries in outcome studies.
methodsMEDLINE, Scopus, Central, and EMBASE were searched through February 2022 for any original studies addressing diagnostics of acute deltoid injuries. The study was conducted per the PRISMA guidelines. The inclusion criteria were formed according to the PICOS criteria. The data assessed were study type, level of evidence, included fractures, time point and method of diagnosing deltoid ligament layers, differentiation between layers and syndesmotic injuries.
results31 studies were included in the final analysis. Most studies (n = 28) based their decision to treat the deltoid ligament injury on radiologic findings only, with stressed radiographs (n = 18) being the most common. The radiographs were applied at one or more time points (preoperative, before ORIF, after ORIF, after ORIF and syndesmotic repair). The most frequently assessed parameter was the Medial Clear Space (MCS, n = 27) with cut-off-values considered pathological ranging between MCS > 1 mm and MCS > 6 mm.
conclusionComparing the 31 studies shows that a standardized method to diagnose deltoid ligament injuries is missing. Further research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines on how to diagnose acute deltoid ligament injuries.
trial registrationProspero ID: CRD42022307112. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.