A primer in meta-analysis for the plastic surgeon.
Meta-analyses are useful tools for clinicians to remain current in their field of study. Meta-analyses are used to gain statistical power through the pooling of results from multiple smaller studies. As the highest level of evidence is considered meta-analysis of high-quality randomized-controlled trials, it is important that the plastic surgeons understand the methodology behind a meta-analysis-herein lies the goal of this article.
Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. ctemple4@uwo.ca
Claire
C
Temple
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013518:Surgery, Plastic