OE JOURNAL
OE Journal
Vol. 14 | Iss. 16 | August 2026 - 17 Studies
Questions This Issue Explores
In adults with KOA, does TENS, compared with placebo, no intervention, or other active treatments, reduce pain after treatment, and are analgesic effects influenced by stimulation frequency, intensity, session duration, or number of treatment sessions?
In patients with KOA, does probiotic supplementation, compared with placebo or control treatment, improve pain, WOMAC outcomes, and inflammatory markers without increasing adverse events over approximately 3 to 6 months?
In adult patients undergoing orthopaedic trauma surgery, does the addition of intraoperative intrawound powdered vancomycin to standard systemic antibiotic prophylaxis, compared with standard systemic antibiotic prophylaxis alone, reduce the incidence of SSIs including gram-positive and gram-negative infections within 6-12 months post-operatively?
In patients undergoing RTSA, did early deltoid muscle stimulation initiated within 6 weeks after surgery, compared with delayed stimulation after a period of postoperative immobilization, improve functional performance, pain, ROM, muscle strength, and adverse events during follow-up of up to 12 months?
In adults with AO/OTA 31-A2 and 31-A3 unstable trochanteric femoral fractures, does IMN compared with SHS fixation, improve mortality, reoperation rates, complications, pain, function, mobility, and surgical outcomes post op over 12 months?
EDITOR'S PICK 
Intramedullary nailing versus sliding hip screw for AO/OTA 31-A2 and 31-A3 trochanteric fractures
18 randomized controlled trials including 3237 adult patients with AO/OTA 31-A2 and 31-A3 unstable trochanteric femoral fractures were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing intramedullary nailing (IMN) vs sliding hip screw (SHS) fixation. The primary outcomes of interest included mortality and reoperation. The secondary outcomes of interest were the incidence of surgical complications, non union, implant failures and postoperative pain, functional outcomes, mobility, and surgical parameters. Outcomes were measured over 12 months. IMN demonstrated similar short and 12-month mortality to SHS. However, SHS showed a higher tendency towards reoperation rates and while IMN was associated with lower rates of arthroplasty conversion, nonunion, and infection, together with reduced early postoperative pain, improved functional and recovery, shorter operative time, and less intraoperative blood loss. Overall, the findings suggest that IMN may provide superior clinical outcomes for unstable trochanteric fractures, although the certainty of evidence was predominantly low to moderate and implant selection should remain individualized.
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