Effects of posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) on lower urinary tract dysfunction: An umbrella review

BackgroundLower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) is a common, troublesome condition that often negatively affects patients' quality of life. Current literature has long been interested in how posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) can affect this condition.AimTo extensively and systematically explore how PTNS affects LUTD based on the most recent systematic reviews.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. All the systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis that assessed the effects of PTNS on LUTD were retrieved. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool, and analysis was conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3 tool.ResultsFrom a total of 3077 citations, 20 systematic reviews entered this study, and 13 of them included meta-analysis. The population of studies varied vastly, for instance, some studies included only children or women while other focused on a specific pathology like multiple sclerosis-induced neurogenic LUTD. The majority of included studies reported an overall improvement in LUTD following percutaneous PTNS, although admitting that these results were derived from moderate to low-quality evidence.ConclusionThe findings of this thorough umbrella review showed that the positive benefits of PTNS in treating LUTD are currently supported by low-quality evidence, and it is crucial to interpret them with great care.