Reporting randomised clinical trials of analgesics after traumatic or orthopaedic surgery is inadequate: a systematic review

Reports of RCTs assessing analgesics in postoperative pain after TOS were systematically searched from electronic databases. The quality of reports was assessed using the CONSORT checklist (scoring range from 0 to 22). The quality was considered poor when scoring was 12 or lesser. The publication year and the impact factor of journals were recorded.A total of 92 reports of RCTs were identified and 69 (75%) scored 12 or lesser in CONSORT checklist (range 5-17). The mean (SD) CONSORT score of all reports was 10.6 (2.7). Missing CONSORT items included primary and secondary outcome measures (11%), the specific objectives and hypothesis definition (12%), the sample size calculation (12%), the dates defining the periods of recruitment (12%), the discussion of external validity of findings (14%), the allocation sequence generation (24%), and the interpretation of potential bias or imprecision of results (25%). There was a little improvement in CONSORT scores over time (r = 0.62; p < 0.001) and with impact factor of journals (r = 0.30; p < 0.001).Quality of reporting RCTs on analgesics after TOS is poor. Reporting of those RCTs should be improved according to methodological standard checklists in the next years.Traumatic and orthopaedic surgery (TOS) is one of the most painful surgical interventions. Evidence on the efficacy of analgesic drugs for pain after TOS is usually obtained from randomised clinical trials (RCTs). However, interpretation of results can be hampered by incomplete data reporting and by low methodological quality of the trial [1]. The quality of the evidence provided by orthopaedic journals about major orthopaedic surgery has been assessed, [2,3] as well as the quality of the RCTs assessing analgesic interventions [4]. We have assessed characteristics of patients included in RCTs on analgesics drugs for pain after TOS, as well as analgesic drugs, outcomes and observation periods in a previous study [5]. Nevertheless, quality in reporting RCTs of analgesi