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| Variable | Description |
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| Number of FSUs | Number of FSUs within testing sample |
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| Operative level | FSU selected for surgical intervention. An article could be classified under more than one operative level category if (a) more than one FSU was involved in the surgical procedure or (b) different operative levels were used along the study. |
|
| Number of specimens | Sample size of the investigation, per testing group (if more than one group was considered). |
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| Loading protocol | Protocol selected for biomechanical testing (i.e., load control and displacement control). |
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| Preload | Axial load applied during biomechanical testing of FE, LB, or AR. An article could be classified under more than one preload condition if at least two different protocols were implemented for FE, LB, and/or AR. |
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| Load | Magnitude of the force applied to induce FE, LB, and/or AR. An article could be classified under more than one load if different magnitudes were reported for tested motions |
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| Load type and rate | Load’s pattern (continuous versus stepwise) and its velocity during biomechanical testing. An article could be classified under more than one load rate if different velocities were described for two or more motions |
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| Biomechanical testing apparatus | Mechanical properties of testing machine used for biomechanical testing |
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| Precondition cycles | Number of cycles performed before data collection for the analysis |
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| Simulated Injury and/or Instrumentation | Specifies if the article included an “injury” condition and/or instrumentation. Those articles that did not include the evaluation of any instrumentation did mandatorily include the biomechanical assessment of an injury (inclusion criterion). |
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| Common Variables Measured | Parameters evaluated during biomechanical testing. Bone mineral density (BMD) was included in this category although it was not derived from biomechanical testing. |
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