Orthopedics This Week Accuses The Spine Journal of Methodological Errors and Bias

WAYNE, Pa., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Orthopedics This Week (OTW) released today a scathing critique of The Spine Journal's unprecedented June 2011 critical review of 13 early studies of rhBMP-2.

Said OTW editor and author, Robin Young: "The Spine Journal's (TSJ) recent review of 13 rhBMP-2 studies, (June 2011, The Year of Living Dangerously) has pulled the publication into a morass of methodological errors and unapologetic bias. In short, living dangerously. While our list of errors and apparent bias is by no means exhaustive, it is large enough to create a growing sense of deep unease."

Eugene J. Carragee M.D., Editor in Chief of TSJ and a member of the faculty at Stanford's University School of Medicine was the lead author of the entire June critical review of a group of early studies of rhBMP-2. After the review, the TSJ authors not only repudiated those studies, but linked payments to the authors of those studies from the study's sponsor, Medtronic, Inc. as the explanation for the alleged flaws.

Young wrote in his article: "When we reviewed Carragee's study, however, we discovered deeply troubling mistakes, omissions, and what appears to us to have been a systematic pattern of intellectual dishonesty.  There are three areas which cause us the most concern:

1. Omissions of facts which had the potential to change the conclusions of TSJ's study.
2. Data used out of context.
3. Errors in logic which, in turn, impugned the integrity of dozens of researchers.

In this week's issue of Orthopedics This Week, Young details where The Spine Journal omitted material information. The 1,500 word article titled "Under Carragee The Spine Journal Lives Dangerously" will be followed by a more extensive 6,000 word review in the upcoming October Orthopedics This Month: Spine magazine.  

Copies of Young's article may be obtained at either the publication's website (www.ryortho.com) or by requesting a copy from [email protected].  

About Orthopedics This Week

Founded in 2005, Orthopedics This Week is published by RRY Publications, LLC and is both the most widely read weekly publication in orthopedics with approximately 90,000 readers and the fastest growing. The publication is based in Wayne, PA. For more information contact either Robin Young at [email protected] or Walter Eisner at [email protected].

SOURCE Orthopedics This Week

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