Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis

The use of reviews has become an invaluable tool in orthopaedic surgery to help remain current on the best available evidence. Presently, there are three types of reviews: narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and meta‐analyses. A narrative review summarizes different primary studies from which a broad perspective can be formulated. In contrast, a systematic review, which ranks highest on the hierarchy on evidence, addresses a specific question and uses a planned and systematic approach. Lastly, a meta‐analysis is the statistical analysis of the results from separate studies. The differences between a narrative review and a systematic review are discussed along with methods for their critical appraisal.