“Spin” in randomized controlled trials of digital implant surgery: a meta-epidemiologic study

“Spin” refers to the manipulation of language to suggest benefits when none exist, commonly observed in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This study investigates the extent, strategies, and reporting quality of spin in digital dental implant RCT abstracts, and explores study characteristics associated with spin.

RCTs related to digital dental implants were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Spin was identified using predefined strategies, and logistic regression was performed to assess factors associated with its occurrence. Reporting quality was evaluated with the original 16-item CONSORT checklist for abstracts.

We analyzed 19,795 articles, and a total of 127 abstracts were finally included in the reporting quality analyses, with spin identified in 51 abstracts (40.2%), where 24 abstracts (18.9%) exhibited spin in both “Results and conclusions” sections. A significantly lower presence of spin was observed in studies reporting exact p-values (OR: 0.317; 95% CI: 0.134–0.727; p = 0.007) and shorter abstract word limits for journal submission (moderate: OR = 0.185, p = 0.01; low: OR = 0.138, p = 0.02).

The prevalence of spin in digital implant surgery RCTs is concerning. Given that busy clinicians often rely solely on abstracts for clinical interpretation, such distorted reporting may mislead practitioners into adopting expensive or complex digital technologies without robust evidence of superiority. It is essential for all stakeholders to prioritize transparent reporting to prevent biased clinical decision-making and safeguard the integrity of evidence-based dentistry.