Utility of 3D printing in the surgical management of intra-articular distal humerus fractures: A protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BackgroundThe quality of reduction in distal humerus fractures plays a crucial role in obtaining good postoperative functional outcomes. The use of 3D printed models for preoperative planning could help improve reduction and hence potentially influencing outcomes after surgery. ObjectivesThis systematic review aims to compare the outcome of surgeries done with the help of 3D printing assistance to those done with conventional techniques in distal humerus intraarticular fractures. MethodsA systematic review will be conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Ovid will be searched with a pre-defined search strategy. Bibliography of included articles will also be searched for more potential studies. Original research articles published since inception till the date of search in English language that compare the outcomes of 3D print-assisted surgery with those done without the help of 3D printing will be included. Review articles, conference abstracts and animal studies will be excluded. Outcome measures will be extracted from the selected studies and analysed with the help of appropriate software.