The Cochrane Collaboration has produced five new reviews relevant to bone and joint surgery since the publication of the last Cochrane Corner These reviews are relevant to a wide range of musculoskeletal specialists, and include reviews in Morton’s neuroma, scoliosis, vertebral fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, and lower limb arthroplasty.

The December 2022 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Immobilization of torus fractures of the wrist in children (FORCE): a randomized controlled equivalence trial in the UK; Minimally invasive method in treatment of idiopathic congenital vertical talus: recurrence is uncommon; “You’re O.K. Anaesthesia”: closed reduction of displaced paediatric forearm and wrist fractures in the office without anaesthesia; Trunk range of motion and patient outcomes after anterior vertebral body tethering versus posterior spinal fusion: comparison using computerized 3D motion capture technology; Selective dorsal rhizotomy for individuals with spastic cerebral palsy; Scheuermann’s kyphosis and posterior spinal fusion; All-pedicle-screw constructs in skeletally immature patients with severe idiopathic early-onset scoliosis; Proximal femoral screw hemiepiphysiodesis in children with cerebral palsy.

The June 2023 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Characteristics and comparative study of thoracolumbar spine injury and dislocation fracture due to tertiary trauma; Sublingual sufentanil for postoperative pain management after lumbar spinal fusion surgery; Minimally invasive bipolar technique for adult neuromuscular scoliosis; Predictive factors for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis; Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and lumbar fusion surgery at level L4/5; Does recall of preoperative scores contaminate trial outcomes? A randomized controlled trial; Vancomycin in fibrin glue for prevention of SSI; Perioperative nutritional supplementation decreases wound healing complications following elective lumbar spine surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

The December 2022 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis protocol on a Level 1 trauma centre patient database; Non-specific spondylodiscitis: a new perspective for surgical treatment; Disc degeneration could be recovered after chemonucleolysis; Three-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion versus corpectomy- anterior cervical discectomy and fusion “hybrid” procedures: how does the alignment look?; Rivaroxaban or enoxaparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis; Surgical site infection: when do we have to remove the implants?; Determination of a neurologic safe zone for bicortical S1 pedicle placement; Do you need to operate on unstable spine fractures in the elderly: outcomes and mortality; Degeneration to deformity: when does the patient need both?

The February 2023 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: S2AI screws: At what cost?; Just how good is spinal deformity surgery?; Is 80 years of age too late in the day for spine surgery?; Factors affecting the accuracy of pedicle screw placement in robot-assisted surgery; Factors causing delay in discharge in patients eligible for ambulatory lumbar fusion surgery; Anterior cervical discectomy or fusion and selective laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy; Surgery for cervical radiculopathy: what is the complication burden?; Hypercholesterolemia and neck pain; Return to work after surgery for cervical radiculopathy: a nationwide registry-based observational study.

The June 2024 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Proximal femoral unicameral bone cysts: is ESIN the answer?; Hybrid-mesh casts in the conservative management of paediatric supracondylar humeral fractures: a randomized controlled trial; Rate and risk factors for contralateral slippage in adolescents treated for slipped capital femoral epiphysis; CRP predicts the need to escalate care after initial debridement for musculoskeletal infection; Genu valgum in paediatric patients presenting with patellofemoral instability; Nusinersen therapy changed the natural course of spinal muscular atrophy type 1: what about spine and hip?; The necessity of ulnar nerve exploration and translocation in open reduction of medial humeral epicondyle fractures in children.

The August 2023 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: DDH: What can patients expect after open reduction?; Femoral head deformity associated with hip displacement in non-ambulatory cerebral palsy; Bony hip reconstruction for displaced hips in patients with cerebral palsy: is postoperative immobilization indicated?; Opioid re-prescriptions after ACL reconstruction in adolescents are associated with subsequent opioid use disorder; Normative femoral and tibial lengths in a modern population of USA children; Retrospective analysis of associated anomalies in 636 patients with operatively treated congenital scoliosis; Radiological hip shape and patient-reported outcome measures in healed Perthes’ disease; Significantly displaced adolescent posterior sternoclavicular joint injuries.

The December 2015 Spine Roundup360 looks at: Ketamine in scoliosis surgery; Teriparatide in osteoporotic spinal fractures; Trabecular metal in the spine?; Revision surgery a SPORTing chance?; The course of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis; Hip or lumbar spine: a common conundrum

The December 2014 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: surgeon outcomes;

complications and scoliosis surgery; is sequestrectomy enough in lumbar disc prolapse?; predicting outcomes in lumbar disc herniation; sympathectomy has a direct effect on the dorsal root ganglion; and distal extensions of fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

The October 2014 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: spondylolisthesis management strategies; not all cervical collars are even; quality of life with Legg-Calve-Perthe’s disease; femoral shaft fractures in children; percutaneous trigger thumb release – avoid at all costs in children; predicting repeat surgical intervention in acute osteomyelitis; and C-Arm position inconsequential in radiation exposure

The June 2014 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: spinal pedicle screws in paediatric patients; improving diagnosis in lumbar spine stenosis; back pain all in the head?; brace three patients, save one scoliosis operation; pedicle screws more often misplaced than one would think; and incidental dural tears usually no problem

The April 2014 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: medical treatment for ankylosing spondylitis; unilateral TLIF effective; peg fractures akin to neck of femur fractures; sleep apnoea and spinal surgery; scoliosis in osteogenesis imperfect; paediatric atlanto-occipital dislocation; back pain and obesity: chicken or egg?; BMP associated with lumbar plexus deficit; and just how common is back pain?

The December 2013 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Just how common is lumbar spinal stenosis?; How much will they bleed?; C5 palsy associated with stenosis; Atlanto-axial dislocations revisited; 3D predictors of progression in scoliosis; No difference in outcomes by surgical approach for fusion; Cervical balance changes after thoracolumbar surgery; and spinal surgeons first in space.

The August 2013 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: SPECT CT and facet joints; a difficult conversation: scoliosis and complications; time for a paradigm shift? complications under the microscope; minor trauma and cervical injury: a predictable phenomenon?; more costly all round: incentivising more complex operations?; minimally invasive surgery = minimal scarring; and symptomatic lumbar spine stenosis.

The April 2013 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: smuggling spinal implants; local bone graft and PLIF; predicting disability with slipped discs; mortality and spinal surgery; spondyloarthropathy; brachytherapy; and fibrin mesh and BMP.

The December 2012 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: the Japanese neck disability index; adjacent segment degeneration; sacroiliac loads determined by limb length discrepancy; whether epidural steroids improve outcome in lumbar disc herniation; spondylodiscitis in infancy; total pedicle screws; and iliac crest autograft complications.