The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the ligaments that help stabilize the knee. Surgery is often
recommended if the ACL is completely torn, and recovery time from the surgery can be lengthy. A
medical center developed a new surgical procedure designed to reduce the average recovery time from
the surgery. To test the effectiveness of the new procedure, a study was conducted in which 210 patients
needing surgery to repair a torn ACL were randomly assigned to receive either the standard procedure or
the new procedure.
Based on the design of the study, would a statistically significant result allow the medical center
to conclude that the new procedure causes a reduction in recovery time compared to the
standard procedure, for patients similar to those in the study? Explain your answer.
