Meta analysis was used to compare the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic internal drainage with or without cystectomy in the treatment of popliteal cyst.

The databases searched by computer include PubMed, EMBASE, The CochraneLibrary, Wanfang database, and China knowledge Network from August 2016 to August 2021. The search content is a clinical control study of arthroscopic internal drainage with or without cystectomy in the treatment of popliteal cysts. The literature was screened according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, and then the quality was evaluated for the included literature by NewcastleOttawaScale (NOS) literature quality evaluation scale and Cochrane manual bias evaluation criteria. After extracting the data, the data were analyzed by ReviewManager5.4 software to compare the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic internal drainage with or without cystectomy in the treatment of popliteal cyst.

Finally, A total of 9 studies with 494 patients were included, including 256 cases of arthroscopic internal drainage group and 248 cases of arthroscopic internal drainage combined with cystectomy group. Meta-analysis showed that there was no difference in postoperative Lysholm score [MD=-0.49, (95%CI: -2.09,1.11), P=0.55], postoperative Rauschning and Lindgren grade [OR=0.54, (95%CI: 0.28,1.04), P=0.06] and hospitalization time [MD=-0.29, (95%CI: -0.73,0.14), P=0.19] between arthroscopic internal drainage group and arthroscopic internal drainage combined with cystectomy group. The incidence of postoperative complications in the internal drainage group was lower than that in the cyst wall resection group [OR=0.26, (95%CI: 0.10,0.65), P=0.004], the operation time [MD=-11.72, (95%CI: -13.69,-9.76), P<0.01] and incision length [MD=-5.94, (95%CI: -11.05,-0.83), P=0.02] in the internal drainage group were shorter than those in the cyst wall resection group, the postoperative recurrence rate [OR=3.32, (95%CI: 1.82, 6.06), P<0.01] in the cyst wall resection group was lower than that in the internal drainage group,and the difference in results between the two groups was statistically significant.

The clinical results of arthroscopic internal drainage combined with or without cyst wall resection in the treatment of popliteal cysts are satisfactory, but compared with arthroscopic internal drainage alone, the recurrence rate after arthroscopic internal drainage combined with cystectomy is relatively low, but the incidence of postoperative complications is relatively high and the operation time is relatively long.