Comparison of clinical outcomes associated with arthroscopic cyst wall preservation or resection in the treatment of popliteal cyst: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Arthroscopy is commonly used to treat popliteal cysts, but the influence of the cyst wall on treatment outcomes remains controversial. The goal of this study was to compare clinical outcomes associated with arthroscopic cyst wall resection versus preservation in patients undergoing treatment for popliteal cysts. We searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases to identify all relevant articles published as of April 2020. STATA v15.1 was used for all statistical analyses. Relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) pertaining to study outcomes were calculated. Study heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic and the χ2 test, with I2 > 50% and P