Functional outcome of 2-D- and 3-D-guided corrective forearm osteotomies: a systematic review

We performed a systematic review to compare conventional (2-D) versus 3-D-guided corrective osteotomies regarding intraoperative results, patient-reported outcome measures, range of motion, incidence of complications and pain score. PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched, and 53 articles were included, reporting 1257 patients undergoing forearm corrective osteotomies between 2010 and 2022. 3-D-guided surgery resulted in a greater improvement in median Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score (28, SD 7 vs. 35, SD 5) and fewer complications (12% vs. 6%). Pain scores and range of motion were similar between 3-D-guided and conventional surgery. 3-D-guided corrective osteotomy surgery appears to improve patient-reported outcomes and reduce complications compared to conventional methods. However, due to the limited number of comparative studies and the heterogeneity of the studies, a large randomized controlled trial is needed to draw definitive conclusions.Level of evidence: III.