Ezetimibe decreased nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score but not hepatic steatosis.

Background/aims: A number of clinical trials reported varying effects of cholesterol lowering agents in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. We, therefore, assessed the changes in hepatic steatosis and NAFLD activity score (NAS) after treatment with cholesterol lowering agents in NAFLD patients by metaanalysis.

Methods: The Cochrane Library, the MEDLINE, and the Embase databases were searched until May 2015, without any language restrictions, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized studies (NRSs).

Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Transtibial or Tibial Inlay Techniques: A Meta-analysis of Biomechanical and Clinical Outcomes.

Background: Transtibial (TT) or tibial inlay (TI) techniques are commonly used for posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCLR). However, the optimum method for PCLR after PCL injury remains debatable. Hypothesis/Purpose: The hypothesis was that TT and TI techniques would not show significant differences for all outcome measures.

Early surgical decompression within 8 hours for traumatic spinal cord injury: Is it beneficial? A meta-analysis.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether early (<8 h) surgical decompression is better in improving neurologic outcomes than late (≥8 h) surgical decompression for traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI).

Methods: The various electronic databases were used to detect relevant articles published up until May 2016 that compared the outcomes of early versus late surgery for tSCI. Data searching, extraction, analysis, and quality assessment were performed according to Cochrane Collaboration guidelines.

Renoprotective effects of febuxostat compared with allopurinol in patients with hyperuricemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Hyperuricemia is reported to be related to rapid progression of renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Allopurinol, a uric acid lowering agent, protects renal progression. However, it is not widely used in patients with CKD because of its serious adverse event.

Comparison of soft tissue balancing, femoral component rotation, and joint line change between the gap balancing and measured resection techniques in primary total knee arthroplasty: A meta-analysis.

Background: This meta-analysis was designed to compare the accuracy of soft tissue balancing and femoral component rotation as well as change in joint line positions, between the measured resection and gap balancing techniques in primary total knee arthroplasty.

Methods: Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they compared soft tissue balancing and/or radiologic outcomes in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty with the gap balancing and measured resection techniques. Comparisons included differences in flexion/extension, medial/lateral flexion, and medial/lateral extension gaps (LEGs), femoral component rotation, and change in joint line positions.

Comparison of the incidence of emergence agitation and emergence times between desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The differences in the incidence and severity of emergence agitation (EA) and emergence times between desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia have not been as clearly elucidated in children as in adults.

Methods: The design of the study is a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The study methodology is based on the Cochrane Review Methods.

Changes in Patellar Height After Opening Wedge and Closing Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy: A Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To test that patellar height decreases (patellar baja) after opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and increases (patellar alta) after closing wedge HTO. In addition, this meta-analysis evaluated whether the method of measuring patellar height affected the change in patellar height after opening and closing HTO.

Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, all studies comparing pre- and postoperative patellar height using various indices, including the Insall-Salvati index (ISI), Blackburne-Peel index, and Caton Deschamps index, in patients who underwent opening or closing wedge HTO were included.

Is plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin a predictive biomarker for acute kidney injury in sepsis patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a useful biomarker for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the diagnostic value of NGAL for predicting AKI in sepsis patients is unclear.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify research publications.

Change in Posterior Tibial Slope After Open-Wedge and Closed-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy: A Meta-analysis.

Background: It is unclear whether open- or closed-wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) results in significant changes in posterior tibial slope, with no consensus on the magnitude of such changes. Furthermore, methods of measuring posterior tibial slope differ among studies. This meta-analysis was therefore designed to evaluate whether posterior tibial slope increases after open-wedge HTO and decreases after closed-wedge HTO and to quantify the magnitudes of the slope changes after open- and closed-wedge HTO using various methods of measuring posterior tibial slope.

Serial Changes of Quadriceps and Hamstring Muscle Strength Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis was performed to analyze serial changes in thigh muscles, including quadriceps and hamstring muscles, from before to one year after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). All studies sequentially comparing isokinetic quadriceps and hamstring muscle strengths between the TKA side and the contralateral uninjured limb were included in this meta-analysis. Five studies with 7 cohorts were included in this meta-analysis.

Chronic kidney disease and intravenous thrombolysis in acute stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hemorrhagic complications or clinical outcomes in patients treated with intravenous (IV) thrombolytic agents is controversial.

Methods: We searched multiple databases for studies on the association between CKD and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and/or clinical outcomes in acute stroke patients treated with IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Observational studies that evaluated the association between CKD and outcomes after adjusting for other confounding factors were eligible.

Comparison of Femoral Tunnel Length and Obliquity Between Transtibial, Anteromedial Portal, and Outside-In Surgical Techniques in Single-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Meta-analysis.

Purpose: It is unclear whether femoral tunnel length and obliquity differ after transtibial and independent femoral drilling techniques of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. This meta-analysis therefore compared femoral tunnel length and obliquity in patients who underwent ACL reconstruction by the transtibial, anteromedial (AM) portal, and outside-in (OI) techniques.

Methods: In accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, all studies comparing femoral tunnel length and obliquity with various measurement tools-from direct measurement to imaging methods such as plain radiography, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging-in patients who underwent reconstruction by the transtibial or independent femoral drilling (AM portal or OI) techniques were included.

Comparison of femur tunnel aperture location in patients undergoing transtibial and anatomical single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose: Although three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) has been used to compare femoral tunnel position following transtibial and anatomical anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, no consensus has been reached on which technique results in a more anatomical position because methods of quantifying femoral tunnel position on 3D-CT have not been consistent. This meta-analysis was therefore performed to compare femoral tunnel location following transtibial and anatomical ACL reconstruction, in both the low-to-high and deep-to-shallow directions.

Methods: This meta-analysis included all studies that used 3D-CT to compare femoral tunnel location, using quadrant or anatomical coordinate axis methods, following transtibial and anatomical (AM portal or OI) single-bundle ACL reconstruction.

Meta-analysis reveals no significant correlation between breast cancer survival and ErbB3 expression.

Prognostic value of ErbB3 in human breast cancer is still controversial. However, the roles of ErbB3 receptors in drug resistance are recently emerging. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ErbB3 expression and survival of breast cancer via meta-analysis.

[Prognostic impact of Charlson comorbidity index obtained from medical records and claims data on 1-year mortality and length of stay in gastric cancer patients].

Objectives: We tried to evaluate the agreement of the Charlson comorbidity index values (CCI) obtained from different sources (medical records and National Health Insurance claims data) for gastric cancer patients. We also attempted to assess the prognostic value of these data for predicting 1-year mortality and length of the hospital stay (length of stay).

Methods: Medical records of 284 gastric cancer patients were reviewed, and their National Health Insurance claims data and death certificates were also investigated.

[Usefulness of comorbidity indices in operative gastric cancer cases].

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the usefulness of the following four comorbidity indices in gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery: Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Cumulative Illness rating scale (CIRS), Index of Co-existent Disease (ICED), and Kaplan-Feinstein Scale (KFS).

Methods: The study subjects were 614 adults who underwent surgery for gastric cancer at K hospital between 2005 and 2007. We examined the test-retest and inter-rater reliability of 4 comorbidity indices for 50 patients.

[The effect of the cost exemption policy for hospitalized children under 6 years old on the medical utilization in Korea].

Objectives: The Korean government in January 2006 instigated an exemption policy for hospitalized children under the age of six years old. This study examines how this policy affected the utilization of medical care in Korea.

Methods: A total of 1,513,797 claim records from the Health Insurance Review Agency were analyzed by complete enumeration methods.

Measuring the burden of major cancers due to smoking in Korea.

Morbidity and mortality are classically used to measure disease burden. However, the allocation of limited health-care resources demands an agreed rational allocation principle and, consequently, the setting of priorities is of considerable importance. We collected data from the national death certificate database, and the national health insurance claim database and life tables.

Validation of the Korean version of the McMaster Quality of Life Scale in terminal cancer patients.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Korean version of McMaster Quality of Life Scale (K-MQLS) suitable for evaluating clinical hospice and palliative care. The McMaster Quality of Life Scale (MQLS) is a brief and comprehensive scale that is used to assess cancer patients receiving palliative care due to poor physical condition. To further develop the K-MQLS, we followed rigorous international translation steps and performed validity, reliability, and sensitivity analyses.