Eleven internal fixations for young vertical femoral neck fractures: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

by Weiwei Shen, Yun Xue, Jie Shi, Xiaowen Deng, Zhongshu Pu, Qiuming Gao

Background and objectives

Vertical femoral neck fractures (VFNFs) in young patients lead to significant biomechanical instability. Multitudinous internal fixation devices have been developed and utilized in clinical interventions. However, there has yet to be a consensus expert opinion regarding the optimal internal fixation configurations. This study aims to conduct a network meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of all currently recognized internal fixation procedures for the treatment of VFNFs in young individuals.

Methods

Comprehensive literature searches will be performed in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Wanfang Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, covering the entire database history up until May 21, 2024. Individual papers will be evaluated for possible bias using RoB 2.0, the most recent version of the randomized trial Cochrane risk-of-bias approach. Pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis (NMA) will be conducted for data analysis using STATA 15.0 and R 4.1.3. Inconsistency tests, subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and assessments of publication bias will also be performed.

Conclusion

The study will provide evidence-based recommendations for the optimal internal fixation methods in treating young patients with VFNFs.

Trial registration

INPLASY202460017.