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.
(a) 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.