Table 1 Research gaps and future research directions for the surgical management of scoliosis
From: The surgical management of scoliosis: a scoping review of the literature
| Research gaps | Future research directions |
|---|---|
| There are few focused systematic reviews relative to the extensive scoliosis literature, reflecting a lack of emphasis on knowledge synthesis and knowledge translation. | Knowledge synthesis: Perform a series of high-quality focused systematic reviews examining important clinical questions. |
| There is a striking paucity of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and the existing RCTs are characterized by generally small sample sizes. | Knowledge translation: Use existing systematic reviews to inform a series of evidence-based decision aids and preliminary clinical practice guidelines. |
| Very few high-level studies have investigated surgical indications, surgical approaches, surgical techniques, or implant selection. | Future RCTs: Conduct a series of surveys or planning meetings to engage clinicians, patients, methodologists, and other knowledge users in the design and conduct of future large RCTs. |
| Patient important outcomes such as function, health-related quality of life, pain, and rates or re-operation have been infrequently reported in comparison to radiological outcomes and rates of complications. | Ongoing scoping work: Clarify inconsistent outcome reporting and identifying practical strategies for methodological improvement. |
