Incorrect Use of the Student t Test in Randomized Trials of Bilateral Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Patients

The statistical analysis of a study's results is critical to its interpretation. Often confused, 2 types of t tests exist for dependent or independent samples. We reviewed randomized controlled trials that included patients undergoing bilateral total hip or knee arthroplasty (dependent samples) that used the t test for analysis. Our inclusion criteria resulted in 40 studies for review, 10 of which combined both unilateral and bilateral …