Open AccessWhat Is the Best Evidence to Guide Management of Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures? A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Author(s) -
Brad Meulenkamp,
Taylor Woolnough,
Wei Cheng,
Risa Shorr,
Dawn Stacey,
Megan Richards,
Arnav Gupta,
Dean Fergusson,
Ian Graham
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
clinical orthopaedics and related research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.178
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1528-1132
pISSN - 0009-921X
DOI - 10.1097/corr.0000000000001861
Subject(s) - medicine , achilles tendon , meta analysis , randomized controlled trial , tendinopathy , systematic review , achilles tendon rupture , cochrane library , rehabilitation , medline , surgery , physical therapy , evidence based medicine , tendon , physical medicine and rehabilitation , alternative medicine , pathology , political science , law
Uncertainty exists regarding the best treatment for acute Achilles tendon ruptures. Simultaneous comparison of the multiple treatment options using traditional study designs is problematic; multiarm clinical trials often are logistically constrained to small sample sizes, and traditional meta-analyses are limited to comparisons of only two treatments that have been compared in head-to-head trials. Network meta-analyses allow for simultaneous comparison of all existing treatments utilizing both direct (head-to-head comparison) and indirect (not previously compared head-to-head) evidence.