Editorial: Reporting baseline variables – descriptive summaries rather than inferential comparisons: editorial series on improving reporting and methodological rigor in scientific articles

Authors

  • Robin Christensen Section for Biostatistics and Evidence-Based Research, the Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Research Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, Denmark https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6600-0631
  • Aleksi Reito Center for Musculoskeletal Diseases, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere; Coxa Hospital for Joint Replacement, Tampere, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6903-6461
  • Tobias Haugegaard Section for Biostatistics and Evidence-Based Research, the Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Research Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
  • Søren Overgaard Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6829-4787

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2340/17453674.2026.46365

Keywords:

CONSORT, EQUATOR Network, Statistical reporting, STROBE

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References

Christensen R, Haugegaard T, Jakobsen J C. Role of prespecified analysis plans in physiological research: encouraged or mandatory? Exp Physiol 2025; 110(9): 1186-91. doi: 10.1113/EP092034.

Nielsen S M, Boers M, de Wit M, Shea B, van der Windt D A, Reeves B C, et al. OMERACT consensus-based operational definition of contextual factors in rheumatology clinical trials: a mixed methods study. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2021; 51(3): 601-6. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.03.013.

Christensen R, Haugegaard T, Madry H. Transparency in reporting frameworks in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open: research designs and value streams. Osteoarthr Cartil Open [Internet]. 2026; 8(2): 100776. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2665913126000348 doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2026.100776

Akl E A, Khabsa J, Petkovic J, Magwood O, Lytvyn L, Motilall A, et al. “Interest-holders”: a new term to replace “stakeholders” in the context of health research and policy. Cochrane Evid Synth Methods 2024; 2(11): e70007. doi: 10.1002/cesm.70007

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Vandenbroucke J P, von Elm E, Altman D G, Gøtzsche P C, Mulrow C D, Pocock S J, et al., STROBE initiative. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE): explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med 2007; 147(8): W163-94. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-147-8-200710160-00010-w1.

Hopewell S, Chan A W, Collins G S, Hróbjartsson A, Moher D, Schulz K F, et al. CONSORT 2025 explanation and elaboration: updated guideline for reporting randomised trials. BMJ 2025; 389: e081124. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2024-081124.

Normand S L T, Sykora K, Li P, Mamdani M, Rochon P A, Anderson G M. Readers guide to critical appraisal of cohort studies: 3. Analytical strategies to reduce confounding. BMJ 2005; 330(7498): 1021-3. doi: 10.1136/bmj.330.7498.1021.

Austin P C. Balance diagnostics for comparing the distribution of baseline covariates between treatment groups in propensity–score matched samples. Stat Med 2009; 28(25): 3083-107. doi: 10.1002/sim.3697.

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Published

2026-07-02

How to Cite

Christensen, R., Reito, A., Haugegaard, T., & Overgaard, S. (2026). Editorial: Reporting baseline variables – descriptive summaries rather than inferential comparisons: editorial series on improving reporting and methodological rigor in scientific articles. Acta Orthopaedica, 97, 462–464. https://doi.org/10.2340/17453674.2026.46365

Issue

Vol. 97 (2026): Acta Orthopaedica

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Publications

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Copyright (c) 2026 Robin Christensen, Aleksi Reito, Tobias Haugegaard, Søren Overgaard

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Acta Orthopaedica (Scandinavica) content is available freely online as from volume 1, 1930. The journal owner owns the copyright for all material published until volume 80, 2009. As of June 2009, the journal has however been published fully Open Access, meaning the authors retain copyright to their work. As of June 2009, articles have been published under CC-BY-NC or CC-BY licenses, unless otherwise specified.
 
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