Few Randomized Controlled Trials in Spine Surgery in the United States Include Sociodemographic Patient Data: A Systematic Review.
Gregory J KirchnerAndrew H KimNathan P SmithBrandon J MartinazziShawn M HinesJohn B WeddleJesse E BiblePublished in: The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (2023)
Despite evidence of the importance of sociodemographic factors on the natural history and treatment outcomes of myriad spine pathologies, this study identifies a surprising absence of sociodemographic data within contemporary RCTs in spine surgery. Failure to include sociodemographic factors in RCTs potentially bias the generalizability of outcome data.