Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews Addressing Orthodontic Interventions: Methodological Study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the methodological quality and characteristics of systematic reviews (SRs) of interventional studies in orthodontics and assess how the certainty of the evidence is reported using the GRADE approach. Material and Methods: Six electronic databases were searched, followed by a hand search of the reference lists of eligible studies (PROSPERO #CRD42020180852). The required study design was randomized and nonrandomized studies of interventions published between January 2019 and May 2020. The Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2) tool was used for the quality appraisal of the included SRs. Paired reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted data, and appraised the methodological quality. Results: The study included 46 SRs; 19.5% had moderate to high methodological quality, and the remaining had low to critically low methodological quality. Fifty-four percent of the reviews assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach, and 34.8% followed all GRADE criteria. Conclusion: Most reviews had a good judgment of the AMSTAR2 items, although some critical items contributed to decreased overall quality. Half of the reviews used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the evidence, and this approach should be included in future systematic reviews of interventions.