Table 4.
Methodological quality assessment of randomized trials utilizing Interventional Pain Management techniques - Quality Appraisal of Reliability and Risk of Bias Assessment criteria
| Manchikanti et al[102] | Carette et al[103] | Fuchs et al[104] | Nath et al[105] | van Wijk et al[97] | van Kleef et al[99] | Tekin et al[96] | Civelek et al[108] | Dobrogowski et al[98] | Cohen et al[109] | Ribeiro et al[107] | Moon et al[100] | Lakemeier et al[101] | Yun et al[106] | |
| I Trial design and guidance reporting | ||||||||||||||
| (1) Consort or spirit | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| II Design factors | ||||||||||||||
| (2) Type and design of trial | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| (3) Setting/physician | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| (4) Imaging | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| (5) Sample size | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| (6) Statistical methodology | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| III Patient factors | ||||||||||||||
| (7) Inclusiveness of Population | ||||||||||||||
| For facet joint interventions: | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| (8) Duration of pain | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| (9) Previous treatments | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| (10) Duration of follow-up with appropriate interventions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| IV Outcomes | ||||||||||||||
| (11) Outcomes assessment criteria for significant improvement | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| (12) Analysis of all randomized participants in the groups | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| (13) Description of drop out rate | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| (14) Similarity of groups at baseline for important prognostic indicators | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| (15) Role of co-interventions | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| V Randomization | ||||||||||||||
| (16) Method of Randomization | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| VI Allocation concealment | ||||||||||||||
| (17) Concealed treatment allocation | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| VII Blinding | ||||||||||||||
| (18) Patient blinding | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| (19) Care provider blinding | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| (20) Outcome assessor blinding | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| VIII Conflicts of interest | ||||||||||||||
| (21) Funding and sponsorship | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| (22) Conflicts of interest | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 45 | 40 | 26 | 42 | 36 | 40 | 37 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 38 | 37 |
Source: Manchikanti et al[79].