Table 1: Characteristics of the studies included in the systematic review

Study	Country	Sample size	% males	Mean age, yr	Length of follow-up, mo*	Intervention	Comparison
Chen et al., 2011³⁰	China	60	53	38.7	15 (10-20)	TEN	Sling
COTS¹⁰	Canada	132	78	33.5	12‡	Open reduction plate fixation§	Sling
Figueiredo et al., 2008³¹	Brazil	50	78	30.2	24	DCP AI plate	Sling
Judd et al., 2009³²	United States	57	91	26.5	12	Modified Hagie pin	Sling
Koch et al., 2008³³	Germany	68	66	35.4	19.1 (8-26)	Intramedullary pin	Figure-of-8 bandage
Mirzatolooei et al., 2011³⁴†	Iran	60	82	35.6	12	Reconstruction plate on superior surface	Sling
Robinson et al., 2013⁵	United Kingdom	200	88	32.4	12	Locking plate	Collar and cuff
Smekal et al., 2009³⁵	Austria	68	87	37.7	24	TEN	Sling
Virtanen et al., 2012³⁶	Finland	60	87	36.7	12	Reconstruction plate on anterior surface	Sling
Assobhi et al., 2011³⁷	Egypt	38	87	31.5	12	AI reconstruction plate	RTEN
Bi et al., 2008³⁸	China	201	72	39.8	10.6 (4-21)	Retrograde percutaneous pin	Kirshner pin
Ferran et al., 2010³⁹	United Kingdom	133	84	29.2	12	LCDCP	Rockwood pin
Jiang et al., 2012⁴⁰†	China	64	63	42.5	24	LCP	MIPPO
Shen et al., 2008⁴¹	China	32	56	44.2	12	Superior reconstruction plate	3-dimensional contoured cortical plate
Lubbert et al., 2008⁴²	Netherlands	120	84	NR	12	LIPUS	Placebo

Note: AI = antero-inferior surface, DCP AI = dynamic compression plate in antero-inferior position, LCDCP = limited contact dynamic compression plate, LCP = locking compression plate, LIPUS = low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, MIPPO = minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis, NR = not reported, RTEN = retrograde titanium elastic nail, TEN = titanum elastic nail.

*Longest follow-up; reported as mean (range) in 3 studies.^30,33,38

†Only enrolled patients with comminuted fractures (3 or more fragments).

‡Data for 2 years in a subsequent publication (Schemitsch et al.⁴³).

§Open reduction and plate fixation (44 patients with limited contact dynamic compression plates; 15 with 3.5-mm reconstruction plates; 4 with precontoured plates, and 4 with other plates.