Patellar resurfacing versus patellar nonresurfacing in primary total knee arthroplasty A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most common orthopedic procedures. However, the decision to resurface the patella during a primary TKA remains controversial. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine whether patellar resurfacing is needed in primary total knee arthroplasty. Methods: A systematic literature research will be conducted in 7 databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library website, ClinicalTrials.gov databases, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang database, and VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals. The quality of studies will be assessed according to Cochrane risk of bias tool and Methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) scale. The level of the evidence will be estimated by grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation system. Data analysis and synthesis will be completed by the Review Manager 5.3. Conclusions: The conclusion of this study will provide clinicians performing TKA with a recommendation whether to conduct patellar resurfacing and further guide the clinical decision-making. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019129711.