How to Perform a Clinical Study: Level 4 Evidence—Case Report

Abstract

In spite of the advent of evidence-based medicine and the marked increase in the number of high-level studies published within the last decade, the case report remains an important type of research within the orthopaedic literature. The utility of case reports is born out of the novelty of musculoskeletal conditions and their treatments. Case reports are well-suited to describe a new condition, detail an uncommon presentation of an already described condition, recount the use of an innovative treatment approach, and document rare complications that, once shared, may prevent future occurrences. The successful publication of a case report requires that the author (1) emphasize the novelty of the subject matter, (2) focus on one or two main aspects of the clinical scenario, and (3) explain the importance of the observations being reported.