Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41288801›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie2025

Clinical outcomes of far cortical locking constructs in distal femur fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Muteb N Alotaibi, Abdullah M Alharran, Rahma Mohammed Osman Abdalla, Randa Abdullah Altuwaijri, Ibrahim Saleh Allehaimeed, Reem Abdullah Alsugair, Bassam H Alharbi, Mohammad A M A Mohammad, Mohammed T M H Alajmi, Abdulmuhsen Alqallaf and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
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In one paragraph

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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Muteb N AlotaibiAl Fisal university, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah M AlharranArabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain. Dr_alharran@outlook.com.
Rahma Mohammed Osman AbdallaUniversity of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
Randa Abdullah AltuwaijriQassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Ibrahim Saleh AllehaimeedQassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Reem Abdullah AlsugairPrincess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bassam H AlharbiKing Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad A M A MohammadRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Mohammed T M H AlajmiRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Abdulmuhsen AlqallafKuwait institute for medical specializations, Kuwait city, Kuwait.
Ammar Yasser JadMinistry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulaziz S AlTurkiKing Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDistal femur fractures commonly occur in elderly and osteoporotic patients and are associated with difficult healing and a high risk of reoperation. Far cortical locking (FCL) is a locking plate strategy designed to reduce construct stiffness, allow controlled motion at the fracture gap, and support secondary bone healing. This systematic review and meta-analysis had two objectives to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes of FCL and standard locking plate (SLP) constructs in adult distal femur fractures, and to describe healing, complication, and revision rates in published FCL cohorts.

methodsA systematic search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase up to February 2025 for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies comparing FCL and SLP. Data extraction, quality assessment (using Cochrane ROB and ROBINS-E tools), and statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.4.1.

resultsFive studies (n = 326; 208 FCL, 118 control) were included. At 3 months, FCL had significantly higher RUST scores than SLP (SMD = 0.60, 95% CI 0.16-1.04, P = 0.007). By 6 months, no significant difference remained. No notable differences were found in postoperative complications, revision, or mortality. Among FCL-only cohorts, RUST scores increased over time, with a 7.2% revision rate and 78.2% radiologic healing by 6 months.

conclusionFCL is associated with earlier radiographic callus appearance compared with SLP constructs in the early phase of healing, but longer term outcomes appear similar. At this stage, FCL can be considered a potential option in selected cases, but its role has not been clearly defined, and further adequately powered randomized studies are required to confirm indications and clarify its clinical impact.

Indexed as

Bone PlatesFemoral FracturesFracture Fixation, InternalFemoral Fractures, DistalFracture HealingHumansPostoperative ComplicationsReoperationTreatment OutcomeDistal femur fracturesFar cortical lockingFracture healingLocking plateMeta-analysisOrthopedic fixation.RUST scoreSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41288801

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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.