Arthroscopic versus open excision of dorsal ganglion cysts: a systematic review

We conducted a systematic review comparing recurrence and complication rate following open versus arthroscopic excision of ganglion cysts. Sixteen full-text articles were included. The pooled recurrence rate of open excision was 20% (range: 5.6–40.7%) with Q value of 27 and I² of 82%. The pooled recurrence rate of arthroscopic excision was 9% (range: 0–17%) with Q value of 10 and I² of 2%. Eleven of 16 studies were low quality or had a high risk of bias; however, excluding low quality studies or those with high risk of bias produced similar recurrence rates in arthroscopic and open excision (7.9% versus 9.8%). For the subset of studies with complete reporting of complications, rates were similar in open and arthroscopic excision (6% versus 4%). Our review suggests that arthroscopic and open approaches have comparable outcome profiles. Nevertheless, standardized study methods with adequate powering are required to collect high quality data, allowing for greater confidence in conclusions regarding these two approaches for existing ganglion cysts.