Table 2. Number of evaluations under investigation by category*.
| Group | Number of evaluations included in tables | Number of evaluations included in forest plots | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal derivatives | 27 | 5 | 32 |
| Plant extracts | 23 | 13 | 36 |
| Minerals / elements / chemicals | 25 | 7 | 32 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 16 | 13 | 29 |
| Cells / tissues | 32 | 18 | 50 |
| Vibration / motion | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Light / lasers | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Gases | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Human proteins / hormones | 59 | 41 | 100 |
| Total | 190 | 107 | 297 |
*Combination therapies are duplicated in all groups they pertain to, e.g. mesenchymal stem cells + vascular endothelial growth factor will be counted in “cells / tissues” and “human proteins / hormones”.
Single therapies tested in multiple concentrations are counted more than once, e.g. Ngueguim 2012 evaluates two plant based therapies: both therapies are evaluated at three different concentrations, thereby contributing 6 evaluations.
A total of 197 studies were included, investigating a total of 204 distinct therapies.
Total number of studies included in tables = 136, total number of studies included in forest plots = 61.