Although the outcomes were generally positive, only one-half of the articles documented patient follow-up. In future studies, focus needs to be placed on long-term results and specific indications for surgery. The first step toward a standardized sternal fracture operative trial must be a prospective study of incidence and nonoperative long-term outcomes. It is likely that as the interest and demand for plate fixation increases, the demand for orthopedic involvement with sternal fractures will also increase.

Level III, comparative study.

Knee function, symptoms, and activity level generally improved following CMI use, but poor research report quality was common. Additional well-designed long-term prospective studies are needed to better determine knee osteoarthrosis prevention efficacy and appropriate patient selection.

The data suggest that this procedure is a highly successful, pain-relieving, strength-preserving, reproducible arthrodesis with a nonunion rate similar to that of the published literature.