ReviewFoot & ankle orthopaedics2024
Socioeconomic Status and Race Are Rarely Reported in Randomized Controlled Trials for Achilles Tendon Pathology in the Top 10 Orthopaedic Journals: A Systematic Review.
Review in Foot & ankle orthopaedics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are crucial in comparative research, and a careful approach to randomization methodology helps minimize bias. However, confounding variables like socioeconomic status (SES) and race are often underreported in orthopaedic RCTs, potentially affecting the generalizability of results. This study aimed to analyze the reporting trends of SES and race in RCTs pertaining to Achilles tendon pathology, considering 4 decades of data from top-tier orthopaedic journals. Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and used PubMed to search 10 high-impact factor orthopaedic journals for RCTs related to the management of Achilles tendon pathology. The search encompassed all articles from the inception of each journal until July 11, 2023. Data extraction included year of publication, study type, reporting of SES and race, primary study location, and intervention details. Results: Of the 88 RCTs identified, 68 met the inclusion criteria. Based on decade of publication, 6 articles (8.8%) reported on SES, whereas only 2 articles (2.9%) reported on race. No RCTs reported SES in the pre-1999 period, but the frequency of reporting increased in subsequent decades. Meanwhile, all RCTs reporting race were published in the current decade (2020-2030), with a frequency of 20%. When considering the study location, RCTs conducted outside the United States were more likely to report SES compared with those within the USA. Conclusion: This review revealed a concerning underreporting of SES and race in Achilles tendon pathology RCTs. The reporting percentage remains low for both SES and race, indicating a need for comprehensive reporting practices in orthopaedic research. Understanding the impact of SES and race on treatment outcomes is critical for informed clinical decision making and ensuring equitable patient care. Future studies should prioritize the inclusion of these variables to enhance the generalizability and validity of RCT results.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.