The modified Stoppa (MS) approach is an alternative to the ilioinguinal (IL) approach and three meta-analyses comparing these two approaches for the treatment of acetabular fractures were published previously. The aim of this study was to provide an updated systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the MS approach with the IL approach for the treatment of acetabular fractures and to answer the following question: are the results of the MS approach superior to those of the IL approach in terms of reduction quality, operative time, operative blood loss, complications, and clinical outcomes for treatment of acetabular fractures?

An updated systematic literature review was conducted using relevant original studies from various databases (PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library). Pooling of data was performed using RevMan software (version 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). A p-value of<0.05 was considered to be significant. We calculated the mean differences (MDs) for continuous data and odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous data with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each outcome. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed based on I² using the standard Chi² test. When I²>50%, significant heterogeneity was assumed and a random-effects model was applied for the meta-analysis. A fixed-effects model was applied in the absence of significant heterogeneity.

Six studies were included in this meta-analysis. The findings demonstrated that the rate of anatomical reduction was significantly higher in the MS approach than in the IL approach (I²=0%, OR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.13–2.69, p=0.01), the operative time was significantly shorter in the MS approach than in the IL approach (I²=88%, MD=−63.60, 95% CI: −93.01 – (−34.20), p<0.0001) and operative blood loss was significantly lower in the MS approach than in the IL approach (I²=75%, MD=−350.51, 95% CI: −523.45 – (−177.58), p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in the rate of nerve injury (I²=0%, OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.16–1.39, p=0.17), the rate of vascular injury (I²=0%, OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.17–1.49, p=0.22), the rate of infection (I²=0%, OR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.25–1.12, p=0.10), the rate of heterotopic ossification (I²=45%, OR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.22–1.85, p=0.40), and the rate of excellent or good clinical score (I²=21%, OR=1.15, 95% CI: 0.56–2.38, p=0.70) between the two approaches.

The MS approach provided better reduction quality, shorter operative time, lower operative blood loss, although there were no significant differences in the rate of complications, and excellent or good clinical score between the two approaches.

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