Worldwide Incidence and Surgical Costs of Tendon Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
F. Bergamin, M. Civera, M. Rodriguez Reinoso, V. Burgio, Oliver Grimaldo Ruiz, C. Surace
Abstract
Purpose. Tendon injuries represent a broad and economically expensive problem in clinical reality, however, there is no systematic review or meta-analysis in the literature that delves into this topic. The aim of this work is to investigate the incidence and clinical costs of tendon rupture on a global, continental and national scale. Methods. PubMed, Google Scholar, PICO (Politecnico di Torino’s bibliographic search engine) were the online databases interrogated for research purposes, while the Minister of Health was the institution contacted to obtain data regarding hospitalization rates. FHM (Federal Health Monitoring) (1) and HES (Hospital Episode Statistics) (2) were the national databases interrogated respectively for German and England data. We looked for the most recent and specific data possible, so papers too outdated or too general were excluded. Results. The total number of tendon ruptures in the world ranges from 80 to 90 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, i.e., 6 to 7 million per year. There is a linear relationship between the incidence of cases and the population, whilst it seems to be no correlation between surgical costs and inhabitants, as it likely depends on the populousness and economical power of a country. Conclusions. This research may serve physicians and healthcare policymakers to make more informed decisions. It will also provide valuable information to industries and researchers involved in tendon repair solutions, to better understand the extent of the phenomenon worldwide.