Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is associated with lower pain levels but inferior range of motion, compared with high tibial osteotomy: a systematic overview of meta-analyses

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to overview the findings of reported meta-analyses on unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and high tibial osteotomy (HTO). METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis 2020 (PRISMA 2020) guidelines were followed. Two independent reviewers conducted a literature search of PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for meta-analyses comparing UKA and HTO that were published prior to September 2021. Literature screening, data extraction, and article quality appraisal were performed according to the study protocol registered online at PROSPERO (CRD42021279152). RESULTS: A total of 10 meta-analyses were identified, and different studies reported different results. Five of the seven meta-analyses showed that the proportion of subjects with excellent or good functional results was higher for UKA than for HTO. All three meta-analyses showed that UKA was associated with lower pain levels, and all six of the studies that included an analysis of range of motion (ROM) reported that UKA was inferior to HTO. Four of the eight meta-analyses found that total complication rates were lower for UKA. Only 3 of the 10 meta-analyses found that UKA had lower revision rates. Moreover, in the subgroup analysis, the revision and complication rates of UKA were similar to those of opening-wedge HTO but much lower than those of closing-wedge HTO. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to HTO, UKA was associated with lower pain levels but inferior postoperative ROM. The results were inconclusive regarding whether UKA yielded better knee function scores and lower revision or complication rates than HTO. Accurate identification of indications and appropriate patient selection are essential for treating individuals with OA. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13018-022-03319-7.