A meta-analysis of the Masquelet technique and the Ilizarov bone transport method for the treatment of infected bone defects in the lower extremities.

To compare the clinical outcomes of the Masquelet technique and Ilizarov bone transport method for the treatment of patients with infected bone defects in the lower extremities. Eligible studies were searched from six databases until 12 April 2021. Data extraction was independently conducted by two investigators, which was followed by a quality assessment. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to analyze continuous variables, while odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were used to analyze categorical variables. All statistical analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 12.0. Thirteen articles were included in this meta-analysis. There was a significant difference observed in hospitalization costs (WMD [95% CI] = -1.75 [-2.50, -0.99] thousand US dollar, < 0.00,001), final union time (WMD [95% CI] = -4.54 [-6.91, -2.17] months, = 0.0002), time to full weight bearing (WMD [95% CI] = -1.73 [-3.36, -0.10] months, = 0.04), quality of life (WMD [95% CI] = 7.70 [4.74, 10.67], < 0.00,001), and the risk of complications (OR [95%CI] = 0.39 [0.19, 0.79], = 0.009) between the Masquelet and Ilizarov groups. No significant differences in other outcomes were observed between the two groups. Masquelet technique exhibited the advantages in the lower hospitalization cost, shorter final union time, shorter time to full weight bearing, lower rate of complications, and better post-operative quality of life, compared with Ilizarov bone transport method. However, this finding should be confirmed in large-scale clinical samples.