The point of the tendon transfer experiment described in Exercise 12 was to compare two different surgical procedures: biceps transfers and deltoid transfers. Here are boxplots showing the results. There were 8 surgeries using each procedure:
a) Which method had the higher (better) median score?
b) Was that method always best?
c) Which method produced the most consistent results? Explain.
Exercise :
Tendon transfers. People with spinal cord injuries may lose function in some, but not all, of their muscles. The ability to push oneself up is particularly important for shifting position when seated and for transferring into and out of wheelchairs. Surgeons compared two operations to restore the ability to push up in children. Two years after surgery, scores rating pushing strength for 16 arms that had been operated on had a distribution displayed here with a histogram and boxplot. (Mulcahey, M. J., Lutz, Cheryl, Kozen, Scott, Betz, Randel, "Prospective Evaluation of Biceps to Triceps and Deltoid to Triceps for Elbow Extension in Tetraplegia," Journal of Hand Surgery, 28, 6, 2003)
a) Describe the shape of this distribution.
b) What is the median of the distribution?
c) What is the range of the strength scores?