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Interpreting research is an important skill to ensure one can maintain their practise with current evidence. The technicalities of statistics can be daunting and thus, this article aims to provide a clear overview of key statistical tests that a surgeon will encounter. It highlights the various study designs, summary statistics and comparative tests that are used in clinical research. Furthermore, it provides a guide to determine which statistical method is most appropriate for various study designs. Overall, it aims to act as an introductory text to supplement further reading into the more advanced statistical methodologies.

Level of Evidence: Level V

Introduction: Significance chasing occurs when data is manipulated to achieve statistical significance. Evidence for such practice is now well known across scientific disciplines. This study aimed to identify if such a phenomenon exists in Hand Surgery literature.

Methods: All p values contained in the articles published in three prominent Hand Surgery journals were analysed. The preponderance of values just under 0.05 was then studied by statistical methods.

Results: 3,124 p values were recorded, with 1,320 values <0.05. A statistically significant preponderance of values between 0.04 and 0.05 was noted (Binomial test, p = 0.0441). The 0.05 point was also found to have the greatest deviation from a best fit exponential curve.

Conclusions: Significance chasing is possibly existent in Hand Surgery literature as well.