Sample size, study length, and inadequate controls were the most common self-acknowledged limitations in manual therapy trials: A methodological review
Author
Publication date
2021-02Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify and analyze the presence and type of self-acknowledged limitations (SALs) in a sample of manual therapy (MT) randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Study design and setting: We randomly selected 120 MT trials. We extracted data related to SALs from the original reports and classified them into 12 categories. After data extraction, specific limitations within each category were identified. A descriptive analysis was performed using frequencies and percentages for qualitative variables.
Results: The number of SALs per trial article ranged from 0 to 8, and more than two thirds of trials acknowledged at least two different limitations. Despite its small proportion, 9% of trials did not report SALs. The most common limitation declared, in almost half of our sample, related to sample size (47.5%) followed by limitations related to study length and follow-up (33.3%) and inadequate controls (32.5%).
Conclusion: Our results indicate that at least two different limitations are consistently acknowledged in MT trial reports, the most common being those related to sample size, study length and follow-up and inadequate controls. Analysis of the reasons behind the SALs gives some insights about the main difficulties in conducting research in this field and may help develop strategies to improve future research.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Accepted version
Language
English
Keywords
Limitacions auto reconegudes
Manipulació (Terapèutica)
Teràpia manual
Informes tècnics
Qualitat
Transparència
Protocols clínics
Pages
10 p.
Publisher
Elsevier
Is part of
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2021, 130: 96-106
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
Rights
© Elsevier
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/