Table 1.
Scoring of methodological quality of each article using grading criteria developed by Sackett18
| ARTICLE/CRITERIA | Bronfort JMPT 2001 | Balon NEJM 1998 | Rowe Chiro Osteo 2006 | Browning Clin Chiro 2008 | Olafsdottir Arch Dis 2001 | Wiberg Nordsreen JMPT 1999 | Sawyer JMPT 1999 | Sandell JCM 2007 | Reed JMPT 1994 | Khorshid JSVR 2006 | Straub JMPT 2001 | Lebouef JMPT 1991 | Miller & Miller JMPT 2009 | Klougart JMPT 1989 | Wiberg JMPT 2010 | Miller JMPT 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSIGNMENT OF PATIENTS (/9) | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| BASELINE VALUES OF GROUPS (/8) | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| RELEVANCE OF OUTCOMES & CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE (/7) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| PROGNOSTIC STRATIFICATION (COMORBIDITY AND RISK FACTORS) (/6) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| BLINDING STRATEGIES (/5) | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CONTAMINATION/CO-INTERVENTION (/4) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| COMPLIANCE OF SUBJECTS TO STUDY PROCEDURES (/4) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DROP-OUT RATES OF SUBJECTS (/3) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| FOLLOW-UP LEVELS (/2) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DATE OF PUBLICATION (/1) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL (/50) | 48 | 45 | 42 | 41 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 |