SynthesisEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie2025
Is lateral decubitus positioning without a traction table a safe option for unstable intertrochanteric fractures? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.
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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Lateral decubitus positioning was associated with improved efficiency and functional outcome compared with traction table positioning for cephalomedullary nailing of subtrochanteric femur fractures: a retrospective comparative study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Does supine versus lateral position affect operative time and reduction quality for elderly intertrochanteric femur fractures?European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2026Article
- Evaluation of Risk Factors for Revision Surgery After Proximal Femoral Nailing for Intertrochanteric Fractures.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFemoral nailing of unstable intertrochanteric fractures can be done in a supine position on a traction table, or in lateral decubitus. Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared these two setup techniques reporting no major differences with no previous meta-analysis about this subject. Therefore, a meta-analysis of RCTs would be helpful in informing clinicians.
methodsPubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched up until July 25, 2024. Inclusion criteria consisted of English or non-English-language randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing lateral decubitus positioning to supine positioning on a traction table in unstable intertrochanteric fractures nailing. The studied outcomes were the reduction quality, surgery-related parameters (setup time, operative time, and fluoroscopy time), and radiographic parameters (tip-to-apex distance (TAD), and collodiaphyseal angle (CDA)).
resultsA total of 4 RCTs, which included a total of 395 patients, of whom 206 underwent nailing of their fracture in a supine position on a traction table, and 189 patients underwent nailing of their fracture in a lateral decubitus position without a traction table. We found no difference in any of the studied outcomes except for the setup time which was higher in the traction table group (mean difference 6.99 [95% CI 3.57 to 10.41]; p < 0.001).
conclusionThis meta-analysis revealed that supine positioning on a traction table had a longer setup time with no difference in any of the remaining assessed outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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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.