Evidence based medicine in clinical practice: how to advise patients on the influence of age on the outcome of surgical anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a review of the literature

摘要: Objective: To determine, using a literature search, whether patient age influences the outcome of surgical reconstruction torn anterior cruciate ligament. Methods: Medline (1966 to present) was searched PubMed interface, Embase (1974 Datastar system, and Cochrane Library at Update Software web site. Papers retrieved from three databases were independently assessed by two reviewers preliminary inclusion criteria. Reference lists papers satisfying criteria then scanned appropriate reviewed. Any new in turn had their reference scanned, this process continuing until no identified. Final applied all Results: The initial search identified 661 papers. Exclusion duplicates produced 536 unique contained 445, 185, 31. Of 536, 523 abstract 12 full text; one paper not retrieved. Application 33 Their 950 references. Scanning these added six dataset. These assessed; Four 39 completed dataset satisfied final There wide variation total number subjects four studies, ranging 22 203 patients. different measures 17; only measure used studies. None objective showed any significant difference between groups, subjective measures, which did show differences, contradictory. A 108 interlibrary loans requested, time researcher, cost IR£432.00 over 10 week period. Conclusions: When advising patients on ligament reconstruction, should be considered isolation. In absence relevant guidelines, meta-analyses, or systematic reviews, application evidence based medicine clinical practice has resource implications.