Abstract

Objectives: To critically assess reporting quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in rhinoplasty using the CONSORT-NPT checklist. The review aims to identify strengths and gaps in trial methodology, highlight areas of poor transparency such as registration and funding disclosure, and evaluate how these shortcomings affect reproducibility and clinical relevance. The objective is to equip surgeons and researchers with practical insights to improve the design and reporting of future rhinoplasty RCTs. Introduction: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for evaluating surgical interventions, yet adherence to reporting guidelines like CONSORT remains inconsistent. Given the individualized outcomes and diverse techniques in rhinoplasty, transparent reporting is essential for reproducibility and clinical applicability. This systematic review assesses adherence to CONSORT-NPT guidelines in rhinoplasty RCTs and identifies key reporting deficiencies. Materials / method: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA and AMSTAR-2 guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE were searched for RCTs on rhinoplasty published between 2017 and 2024. Studies were evaluated for adherence to the 25-item CONSORT-NPT checklist. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and GRADE framework assessed study quality. Descriptive statistics summarized compliance trends, and correlations with journal impact factor and author count were analyzed. Results: Ninety-seven studies met inclusion criteria, with mean CONSORT adherence of 68.8%. Study objectives (97.9%) and structured abstracts (94.8%) were well reported, but trial registration (53.6%) and funding disclosure (51.5%) were inconsistent. Nearly half (47.4%) had ≤50 participants and 94.8% were single-center, limiting generalizability. No correlation was found between adherence and journal impact factor (p=0.669, R²=0.002) or author count (p=0.278, R²=0.047). Most originated from the Middle East, limiting global applicability. Conclusion: While adherence to CONSORT in rhinoplasty RCTs is moderate, deficiencies in trial registration, funding transparency, and study generalizability remain. Improved enforcement, multicenter collaborations, and broader geographic representation are needed to strengthen research reliability.