The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
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Review Meta Analysis
Investigating the true effect of psychological variables measured prior to arthroplastic surgery on post-surgical outcomes: a p-curve analysis.
Patients' presurgical psychological profiles have been posited to predict pain and function following arthroplastic surgery of the hip and knee. Nevertheless, findings are conflicting, and this may be rooted in biased reporting that makes the determination of evidential value difficult. This ambiguity may have negative consequences for researchers and governmental agencies, as these rely on findings to accurately reflect reality. ⋯ The results highlight the importance of patients' psychological profiles in predicting surgical outcomes, which represent a promising avenue for future treatment approaches. PERSPECTIVE: The effects of P-hacking are difficult to detect and might be at the root of conflicting findings pertaining to the predictive properties of presurgical psychological variables on postsurgical outcomes. P-Curve analysis allows the determination of evidential value underlying these relationships and detection of P-hacking to ensure that findings are not the result of selective reporting.