Table 4.

Risk of bias results for the studies included in the review

	Bunker [39]	Carbone et al. [31]	Carrillon et al. [32]	Kilian et al. [33]	Lho et al. [19]	Li et al. [34]	Manton et al. [35]	Neviaser [40]	Sofka et al. [14]	Song et al. [36]	Uhthoff & Boileau [41]	Xu et al. [37]	Zhao et al. [38]
1. Did the study address a clearly focused issue?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2. Did the authors use an appropriate method to answer their question?	Yes Arthroscopy and Open Release	Yes MRI – No comment on contrast	Yes MRI - Contrast	Yes Arthroscopy	Yes Arthroscopy	Yes MRI – No comment on contrast	Yes Direct MRA	Yes Arthrography	Yes MRI – No Comment On Contrast	Yes Indirect MRI	Yes Arthroscopy	Yes Arthroscopy	Yes MRI– No Comment On Contrast
3. Were the cases recruited in an acceptable way?	No SoC N = 35	Yes SoC N = 50	Yes SoC N = 25	No SoC N = 6	No SoC N = 17	Yes SoC N = 72	No SoC N = 9	No SoC N = 1	Yes SoC N = 47	Yes SoC N = 35	No SoC N = 4	Can’t Tell N = 8	Can’t Tell N = 60
4. Were the controls selected in an acceptable way?	No No Control Group	Yes 50 Cuff Tear 65 Control	No No Control Group	Yes 6 Control	Yes 7 Control	Yes 120 controls	Yes 19 Control	No No Control Group	No No Control Group	Yes 45 Control	No No Control Group	Can’t Tell 10 Control	Can’t Tell 60 Control
6. (a) What confounding factors have the authors accounted for?	None Recorded	Gender Age Duration of symptoms Stage of condition Previous Mx	Gender Age Duration of symptoms	Stage of condition	Comorbidities Previous Mx	Gender Age Duration of symptoms Previous Mx Comorbidity	Gender Age Previous Mx	None Recorded	Gender Age Stage of condition Symptom duration	Gender Age	Gender Age Comorbidity Duration of symptoms	Gender Age Comorbidity Duration Of Symptoms	Gender Age Comorbidity Ethnicity Duration of Symptoms
(b) Have the authors taken account of the potential confounding factors in the design and/or in their analysis?	No	Yes Age Comparable Groups - Fs & Rc Tear	No	Yes Stage of condition and Sample	No	Yes Gender affect	Yes Comorbidity Different treatment of Control Group/ “Normals”	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
7. Can the results be applied to the local population?	Can’t Tell	No Diagnostic Test described awaiting validation	Yes	Can’t Tell	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Can’t Tell	No	Can’t Tell	Yes
8. Do the results of this study fit with other available evidence?	Can’t Tell	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Can’t Tell	Yes	Yes	Yes	Can’t Tell	Yes
Overall risk of bias	High	Low	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Low	Mod	High	Low	Mod	Moderate	Moderate	Low

Mx management, SoC Sample of Convenience, MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging)