PMID- 28576501
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20180601
LR  - 20181202
IS  - 1878-1632 (Electronic)
IS  - 1529-9430 (Linking)
VI  - 17
IP  - 11
DP  - 2017 Nov
TI  - Reporting the results of meta-analyses: a plea for incorporating clinical 
      relevance referring to an example.
PG  - 1625-1632
LID - S1529-9430(17)30211-5 [pii]
LID - 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.05.019 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The results of meta-analyses are frequently reported, but 
      understanding and interpreting them is difficult for both clinicians and 
      patients. Statistical significances are presented without referring to values 
      that imply clinical relevance. PURPOSE: This study aimed to use the minimal 
      clinically important difference (MCID) to rate the clinical relevance of a 
      meta-analysis. STUDY DESIGN: This study is a review of the literature. PATIENT 
      SAMPLE: This study is a review of meta-analyses relating to a specific topic, 
      clinical results of cervical arthroplasty. OUTCOME MEASURE: The outcome measure 
      used in the study was the MCID. METHODS: We performed an extensive literature 
      search of a series of meta-analyses evaluating a similar subject as an example. 
      We searched in Pubmed and Embase through August 9, 2016, and found articles 
      concerning meta-analyses of the clinical outcome of cervical arthroplasty 
      compared with that of anterior cervical discectomy with fusion in cases of 
      cervical degenerative disease. We evaluated the analyses for statistical 
      significance and their relation to MCID. MCID was defined based on results in 
      similar patient groups and a similar disease entity reported in the literature. 
      RESULTS: We identified 21 meta-analyses, only one of which referred to MCID. 
      However, the researchers used an inappropriate measurement scale and, therefore, 
      an incorrect MCID. The majority of the conclusions were based on statistical 
      results without mentioning clinical relevance. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the 
      articles we reviewed drew conclusions based on statistical differences instead of 
      clinical relevance. We recommend introducing the concept of MCID while reporting 
      the results of a meta-analysis, as well as mentioning the explicit scale of the 
      analyzed measurement.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
FAU - Bartels, Ronald H M A
AU  - Bartels RHMA
AD  - Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Groote 
      Plein-zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Neurosurgery, 
      Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, The 
      Netherlands. Electronic address: ronald.bartels@radboudumc.nl.
FAU - Donk, Roland D
AU  - Donk RD
AD  - Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Via Sana Clinics, Hoogveldseweg 1, 5451 AA 
      Mill, The Netherlands.
FAU - Verhagen, Wim I M
AU  - Verhagen WIM
AD  - Department of Neurology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 
      6532 SZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
FAU - Hosman, Allard J F
AU  - Hosman AJF
AD  - Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Groote 
      Plein-zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
FAU - Verbeek, Andre L M
AU  - Verbeek ALM
AD  - Department for Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Groote 
      Plein-zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20170530
PL  - United States
TA  - Spine J
JT  - The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
JID - 101130732
SB  - IM
MH  - Arthroplasty/adverse effects/methods/*standards
MH  - Cervical Vertebrae/*surgery
MH  - Humans
MH  - *Meta-Analysis as Topic
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - ACDF
OT  - Cervical arthroplasty
OT  - Cervical degenerative disc disease
OT  - MCID
OT  - Meta-analysis
OT  - Minimal clinically important difference
OT  - Outcome
EDAT- 2017/06/04 06:00
MHDA- 2018/06/02 06:00
CRDT- 2017/06/04 06:00
PHST- 2016/11/17 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2017/02/24 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2017/05/16 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2017/06/04 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2018/06/02 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2017/06/04 06:00 [entrez]
AID - S1529-9430(17)30211-5 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.05.019 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Spine J. 2017 Nov;17(11):1625-1632. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2017.05.019. Epub 2017 
      May 30.