Evaluation of Spin in the Abstracts of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Covering Treatments for Achilles Tendon Ruptures

Carr, Marvin; Dye, David; Arthur, Wade; Ottwell, Ryan; Detweiler, Byron; Stotler, Wesley; Hawkins, Bryan J.; Wright, Drew; Hartwell, Micah; Chen, Suhao; Miao, Zhuqi; Vassar, Matt

doi:10.1177/24730114211000637

Cited by 9 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…While the current study reported important and relevant complications following the treatment of AATR, it failed to include certain outcomes that are also relevant to patients such as returning to sports or work, patient satisfaction scores, or other patients‐reported outcome measure [8, 29, 47]. Carr et al evaluated abstracts of systematic reviews of AATR and reported that 65.1% contained spin‐reporting practices that may exaggerate benefit or minimize harm [5]. Recognizing these limitations, this study sought to synthesize and present the outcomes from these meta‐analyses as objectively as possible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower re-rupture rates but higher complication rates following surgical versus conservative treatment of acute achilles tendon ruptures: a systematic review of overlapping meta-analyses

Seow

Islam

Randall

et al. 2023

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc

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Purpose To systematically review and evaluate the current meta-analyses for the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture (AATR). This study can provide clinicians with a clear overview of the current literature to aid clinical decision-making and the optimal formulation of treatment plans for AATR. Methods Two independent reviewers searched PubMed and Embase on June 2, 2022 based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Assessment of evidence was twofold: level of evidence (LoE) and quality of evidence (QoE). LoE was evaluated using published criteria by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the QoE by the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) scale. Pooled complication rates were highlighted for signiicance in favour of one treatment arm or no signiicance. Results There were 34 meta-analyses that met the eligibility criteria, with 28 studies of LoE 1, and the mean QoE was 9.8 ± 1.2. Signiicantly lower re-rupture rates were reported with surgical (2.3-5%) versus conservative treatment (3.9-13%), but conservative treatment was favoured in terms of lower complication rates. The re-rupture rates were not signiicantly diferent between percutaneous repair or minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared to open repair, but MIS was favoured in terms of lower complication rates (7.5-10.4%). When comparing rehabilitation protocols following open repair (four studies), conservative treatment (nine studies), or combined (three studies), there was no signiicant diference in terms of re-rupture or obvious advantage in terms of lower complication rates between early versus later rehabilitation. Conclusion This systematic review found that surgical treatment was signiicantly favoured over conservative treatment for re-rupture, but conservative treatment had lower complication rates other than re-rupture, notably for infections and sural nerve injury. Open repair had similar re-rupture rates to MIS, but lower complication rates; however, the rate of sural nerve injuries was lower in open repair. When comparing earlier versus later rehabilitation, there was no diference in re-rupture rates or obvious advantage in complications between open repair, conservative treatment, or when combined. The indings of this study will allow clinicians to efectively counsel their patients on the postoperative outcomes and complications associated with diferent treatment approaches for AATR. Level of evidence IV.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower re-rupture rates but higher complication rates following surgical versus conservative treatment of acute achilles tendon ruptures: a systematic review of overlapping meta-analyses

Seow

Islam

Randall

et al. 2023

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc

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“…After that publication, multiple studies were published on the presence of spin within systematic reviews for different treatment options, including orthopaedics. 7 , 11 , 15 , 18 , 23 , 26 Carr et al 5 published an article in Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics looking at the presence of spin within the systematic reviews of treatment options for Achilles tendon ruptures. The authors identified the presence of spin in 65% of their studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By following our recommendations, researchers and journals can identify spin at an early stage and be able to eliminate it by the time an article is published. 5 , 15 , 18 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By following our recommendations, researchers and journals can identify spin at an early stage and be able to eliminate it by the time an article is published. 5,15,18 Limitations Limitations to our study include spin being a subjective topic. Although we have published studies related to spin and undergone training to identify spin, the topic is inherently open for interpretation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of Spin in the Abstracts of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses on Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment in Orthopaedics: A Cross-sectional Analysis

Reddy

Lulkovich

Wirtz

et al. 2023

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

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Background: Systematic reviews on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in orthopaedic surgery are abundant in current published literature. However, a beautification of results (referred to as spin) has been noted in abstracts across various aspects of medicine. Purpose: To determine the prevalence of spin in systematic reviews of PRP-related orthopaedic surgery abstracts. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and Murad and Wang guidelines, we conducted a search in Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database for reviews on PRP-related orthopaedic surgery. The search included studies published from inception until June 30, 2021. Included were systematic reviews written in English that involved the use of PRP in the treatment of orthopaedic injuries in human participants. The abstracts of the included reviews were evaluated for the top 9 types of spin as described by Yavchitz et al in 2016. We determined the relationship between spin and study characteristics using odds ratios. Results: Of an initial 1560 studies, 176 were included. We found that 50 studies (28.4%) contained at least 1 form of spin. The 2 most common forms of spin found in our sample were type 5 (“Conclusion claims the beneficial effect of treatment despite high risk of bias”; n = 27 [15.3%]) and type 3 (“Selective reporting or overemphasis of efficacy in outcomes favoring beneficial effect of intervention”; n = 18 [10.2%]). No statistical significance was found between study characteristics and the presence of spin. Conclusion: Spin was present in 28% of the systematic reviews that covered PRP-related orthopaedic treatments. Spin was not associated with general study characteristics, including adherence to PRISMA guidelines or funding. Journals and authors should be aware of spin in articles and avoid its usage.

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“…Several studies have shown a high prevalence of spin in systematic reviews in orthopedic research. 37,39,40 An example of type 5 spin in Wang et al 34 is present in the conclusion of the abstract which states "the results of this metaanalysis demonstrate that interlaminar minimally invasive discectomy (ILMI) and MD are both safe and effective surgical procedures for treating LDH. Compared with MD, ILMI can shorten days in hospital, decrease the amounts of blood loss during surgery".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Spin in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques and Standard Microdiscectomies for Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation

Abu-Zahra

Mayfield

Thompson

et al. 2023

Global Spine Journal

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Study Design Systematic review. Objectives Spin in scientific literature is defined as bias that overstates efficacy and/or underestimates harms of procedures undergoing review. While lumbar microdiscectomies (MD) are considered the gold standard for treating lumbar disc herniations (LDH), outcomes of novel procedures are being weighed against open MD. This study identifies the quantity and type of spin in systematic reviews and meta-analyses of LDH interventions. Methods A search was conducted on the PubMed, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases for systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating the outcomes of MD against other LDH interventions. Each included study’s abstract was assessed for the presence of the 15 most common types of spin, with full texts reviewed during cases of disagreement or for clarification. Full texts were used in the assessment of study quality per AMSTAR 2. Results All 34 included studies were observed to have at least 1 form of spin, in either the abstract or full text. The most common type of spin identified was type 5 (“The conclusion claims the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment despite a high risk of bias in primary studies”), which was observed in ten studies (10/34, 29.4%). There was a statistically significant association between studies not registered with PROSPERO and the failure to satisfy AMSTAR type 2 ( P < .0001). Conclusion Misleading reporting is the most common category of spin in literature related to LDH. Spin overwhelmingly tends to go in the positive direction, with results inappropriately favoring the efficacy or safety of an experimental intervention.

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Evaluation of Spin in the Abstracts of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Covering Treatments for Achilles Tendon Ruptures

Cited by 9 publications

References 22 publications

Lower re-rupture rates but higher complication rates following surgical versus conservative treatment of acute achilles tendon ruptures: a systematic review of overlapping meta-analyses

Lower re-rupture rates but higher complication rates following surgical versus conservative treatment of acute achilles tendon ruptures: a systematic review of overlapping meta-analyses

Assessment of Spin in the Abstracts of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses on Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment in Orthopaedics: A Cross-sectional Analysis

Evaluation of Spin in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques and Standard Microdiscectomies for Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation

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