Abstract
BackgroundThe complexity and diversity of spine pathology lead to the complexity and diversity of spinal surgery. The emergence and application of three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology has brought good news to surgeons and patients. However, the use of 3DP in spinal surgery remains controversial. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate whether 3D printing technology is beneficial for spinal surgery.MethodsThree English online databases including EMBASE (via embase.com), Medline (via PubMed), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) will be searched from inception until August 31, 2020. Document records retrieved according to the pre-defined search strategy will be managed by EndNote X7. The MINORST (methodological index for non-randomized studies) item recommended for non-randomized controlled interventional studies in surgery will be used to assess the quality of non-randomized controlled studies. The “Risk of bias” (ROB) table will be used to assess the quality of randomized controlled studies. The data extraction will be completed by two authors independently, one of whom extracts and the other checks. If there is any missing data, original author will be contacted to obtain the data required. Any inconsistencies were agreed upon by discussion with a third investigator. If the collected data can be synthesized, Review Manager (RevMan5.3) will be used to estimate the overall effect of 3DP for Spinal surgery. Otherwise, only the qualitative analysis will be carried out. According to the results of clinical heterogeneity test, random effects model or fixed effects model will be used for data synthesis. The sources of clinical heterogeneity will be explored by meta-regression and subgroup analysis. If more than 10 studies are included, funnel plots will be used to assess the publication bias. This review will be carried out in strict accordance with Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.ConclusionThis study will can provide surgeons and patients with evidence-based evidence for the use of 3D printing technology in spinal surgery.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO/ID = CRD42020204053.
Three-dimensional printing models improve understanding of spinal fracture—A randomized controlled study in China