P-Values and Power in Orthopedic Research: Myths and Reality

The results of statistical tests in orthopedic studies are typically reported using P-values. If a P-value is smaller than the pre-determined level of significance (eg, < .05), the null hypothesis is rejected in support of the alternative. This automaticity in interpreting statistical results without consideration of the power of the study has been denounced over the years by statisticians, since it can potentially lead to misinterpretation of the study conclusions. In this paper, we review fundamental misconceptions and misinterpretations of P-values and power, along with their connection with confidence intervals, and we provide guidelines to orthopedic researchers for evaluating and reporting study results. We provide real-world orthopedic examples to illustrate the main concepts. Please visit the following https://youtu.be/bdPU4luYmF0 for videos that explain the highlights of the paper in practical terms.     

彩色多普勒超声诊断卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转的临床意义

目的：探讨彩色多普勒超声诊断卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转的临床意义。方法方便选取2012―2015年该院收治的58例疑似卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转患者作为观察目标，入选病例均应用彩色多普勒超声进行检查，并将检查结果同术后病理检查结果进行比较。结果58例患者中，术后病理证实卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转者51例，彩色多普勒超声共确诊49例，检查准确率为96.1%；囊壁增厚、腹腔或盆腔积液、可见混合型团块是卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转的主要彩超表现。结论卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转应用彩色多普勒超声诊断，可显著提高诊断准确率，具有积极的临床使用和推广价值。     

长江北三角洲抗倭碑文的史料意义

长江北三角平原上所遗存的二十余种记及明代倭患和抗倭战争的古代的碑石文献 ,在数量上据全国各抗倭战区所存的同类文献之首。在内容上 ,对补充旧史的阙失、订正传误、佐证史实、深化研究也有诸多帮助 ,尤其是对廓正对倭寇与倭患问题的认识有着积极的意义     

Significance of lateral biopsy specimens during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies in Japanese men

OBJECTIVES: Lateral biopsies are thought to have a better cancer detection rate compared with standard sextant biopsies. This study aimed to determine whether lateral peripheral zone biopsies in Japanese men who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies provided a significantly higher cancer detection rate than sextant biopsies. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2004, data were collected from 461 men who underwent prostate biopsy and had enough data regarding the performance of lateral biopsies for statistical analysis. There were two categories in this study: (i) patients who underwent sextant prostate biopsies; and (ii) patients who underwent sextant biopsies plus lateral biopsies. RESULTS: Prostate cancer was detected in 141 (30.6%) of 461 patients. It was detected in 24 (22.2%) of 108 patients who underwent sextant biopsies and 117 (33.1%) of 353 patients who underwent sextant plus lateral biopsies. Lateral biopsies were not associated with a statistically higher rate of positive biopsy findings; however, we found a significantly higher ratio of patients with positive findings in those with prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels 10 ng/mL (one of 71, 1.4%) among those who had positive cores only in lateral biopsy samples (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Lateral biopsies did not show a significantly higher detection ratio of prostate cancer compared to sextant biopsies. However, lateral biopsies were more effective than sextant biopsies in patients with lower PSA levels. Our findings might be useful for the establishment of biopsy strategies to detect prostate cancer, especially in patients with lower PSA levels.     

指背腱膜的解剖学研究

目的 探讨指背腱膜的构成特点及临床意义。方法 在30只成人尸体手标本上，通过模拟手术，对指背腱膜的构成特点进行了应用解剖学观测。结果 指背腱膜的构成复杂，其中的外侧腱束、外侧束、外侧腱和中央束在手指畸形的发生中有着特殊的临床意义。外侧腱束主要形成伸近节指间关节的功能解剖机制；其与外侧束形成的密切纤维联系而具有协同外侧腱的功能；该腱束与屈肌腱鞘有联系又使其具有平衡屈肌和伸肌肌力的作用。中央束在指背腱膜的整体协调、畸形的发生及矫正过程中起着重要的功能。结论 通过对指背腱膜的解剖研究，可以解释因指屈、伸肌腱平衡被破坏后所形成的畸形。     

Localized pleural plaques and lung cancer.

In a mass chest radiography survey conducted in 1971 for 7,986 residents of three Finnish communities, 604 subjects (7.6%) with pleural plaques but not other asbestos-related radiographic signs were identified. The same number of referents, each individually matched to each plaque carrier on sex, birth year, and community, was selected from among persons in the same source population with no pleural plaques. The two groups were followed for investigation of incidence of lung cancer during 1972-1989. Twenty-eight of those with plaques and 25 referents contracted lung cancer (crude conditional RR = 1.1; CL95 = 0.7, 1.9). The application of the proportional hazards model, with adjustment for sex, age, and residence, resulted in a hazard ratio of 1.1 (CL = 0.6, 1.8). The risk ratio estimate may be biased; hence, the result is inconclusive in regard to the predictive assessment of lung cancer risk among carriers of pleural plaques.     

军队高等医学院校课程教学质量评估的功能及意义

军队高等医学院校课程教学质量评估的意义及作用:具有判断教育活动、获取信息、反馈、激励、促进教学改革六项功能.     

冠心病患者颈动脉超声检测的临床意义

目的通过分析颈动脉粥样硬化与冠心病的关系探讨颈动脉超声对诊断冠心病的临床意义。方法将120例入选对象分为对照组,稳定性心绞痛(SA)组,不稳定性心绞痛(UA)组,急性心肌梗死(AMI)组,每组30例,分别给予超声检测颈动脉内-中膜厚度(IMT),同时测定3组冠脉造影结果:正常组21例,单支病变组18例,多支病变组29例。结果冠心病患者IMT较正常对照组有显著增厚(P<0.01),且冠脉造影正常组与单支、多支病变组间亦存在显著性差异(P<0.05)。结论颈动脉超声检测对冠心病的预测具有确切的临床意义。