Efficacy of lateral retinacular release versus no release in total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Systematic Review
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lateral patellar retinacular release (LPRR) versus no release in total knee arthroplasty (TKA)./r/nThis PRISMA-compliant systematic review searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang, and VIP from inception to August 2024. We included comparative studies of TKA patients with vs without LPRR (n = 8 studies, 3,911 patients)./r/nincomplete data, combined procedures, cadaveric/artificial models. Random-effects models analyzed outcomes; heterogeneity assessed via I statistics./r/nPrimary outcomes: LPRR significantly reduced anterior knee pain (OR = 0.23, 95% CI 0.13-0.42, P < 0.00001; I = 0%) and improved Knee Society Score (KSS) (MD = 3.00, 95% CI 1.10-4.89, P = 0.002; I = 0%) but increased infection rate (OR = 3.44, 95%CI 1.48-8.04, P = 0.004; I = 26%). Secondary outcomes showed no significant differences (P > 0.05)./r/nLPRR reduces anterior knee pain but significantly increases infection risk (NNH = 32). Should be reserved for patients with intraoperative patellar maltracking after risk-benefit assessment. Findings are limited by predominant Asian cohorts, short follow-up durations, and heterogeneous surgical indications.
