Table 1 The characteristics of the included studies (a)

Kocadal 2016 [4]

Turkey

Ankara,

Retrospective comparative study

26/26

43.3/44.8

1 ZipTight Fixation

System

One 3.5mm screw

(4 cortices)

16.7 ± 11.0 months

18

Kim 2016 [2]

Korea

Busan

Historical control study

24/20

51.3/40.5

1 TightRope implant

One 3.5mm screw

(3 cortices)

13.4 / 14.6 months

12

Seyhan 2015 [17]

Turkey

Istanbul

Retrospective comparative study

15/17

33.2 /32.0

1 TightRope implant

One 4.5 mm screw

(4 cortices)

14.6 (12–50) months

17

Kortekangas 2015 [8]

Finland

Oulu

Prospective randomized controlled clinical trial

21/19

46.0 /43.5

1 TightRope implant

One 3.5 mm screw

(3 cortices)

At least 2 years, mean 36 months in TightRope group,37 months in the

syndesmotic screw group)

—

Laflamme 2015 [9]

Netherland

And Canada.

Prospective Randomized Multicenter Trial

34/36

40.1/ 39.3

1 TightRope implant

One 3.5mm screw

(4 cortices)

12 months

—

Naqvi 2012 [11, 25]

Ireland

Drogheda,

Cohort study

23/23

42/40

16 cases with one TightRope implant

7 cases with two TightRope implant

20 cases with one screw

3 cases with two screws

(4 cortices)

2.5 years

16

Cottom 2009 [12]

America

Columbus

Prospective cohort study

25/25

34.68/36.68

21 cases with a single interosseous suture endobutton

4 cases with dual interosseous suture endobuttons

12 cases with a single screw

13 cases with 2 screws

10.78 months /8.2 months

17

Coetzee 2009 [15]

America

Minneapolis

Prospective, randomized

clinical trial

12/12

35/38

All but one had two TightRopes

4.0 mm, 4.5 mm and 6.5 mm screws

2.3year

—

Thornes 2005 [18]

Ireland

Retrospective cohort study

16/16

32/31

A suture-button (One #5 braided polyester suture and two endobuttons)

One four-cortical syndesmosis screw

12 months

18