Efficacy of naproxen prophylaxis for the prevention of heterotopic ossification after hip surgery: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND This meta-analysis aimed to assess whether the specific nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen has a role in reducing the occurrence of heterotopic ossification after hip surgery. METHODS Potential studies were identified in the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google. We included studies involving hip surgery patients in which the intervention group received naproxen and the control group received placebo. The occurrence of heterotopic ossification and complications were the final outcomes. Stata 13.0 was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 269 patients were ultimately included in this meta-analysis. The use of naproxen was associated with a significant reduction in the occurrence of heterotopic ossification at 1.5-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of complications between treatment and control groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Our analysis indicates that naproxen can decrease the occurrence of heterotopic ossification without increasing complications in hip surgery patients. Due to the limited number of studies included, more high-quality RCTs are needed to identify the optimal dose of naproxen.