Table 3.

Grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) quality of evidence.

Outcome	Number of studies	Design	Study limitations	Inconsistency	Indirectness	Imprecision	Publication bias	Effect size	GRADE quality	Symbolic expression
VAS	17	RCT	0	−1*	0	0	0	0	Moderate	⊕⊕⊕⊖
IKDC	2	RCT	0	0	0	0	0	0	High	⊕⊕⊕⊕
KOOS	5	RCT	0	0	0	0	0	0	High	⊕⊕⊕⊕
WOMAC	11	RCT	0	−*	0	0	0	0	Moderate	⊕⊕⊕⊖

VAS, Visual Analog Score; IKDC, International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form; KOOS, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index.

^*Heterogeneity is too high (I² > 80%).