Table I.
Overview of basic study details, categorized according to type of knee injury
| ACL | Patellar Dislocation | Tibial plateau fracture | Other | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of studies [papers if different] | 20 [40 papers incl. 11 conf. abstracts] | 8 [9 papers, incl. 1 abstract only] | 7 incl. 2 abstract only | 2 studies | 37 [58 papers incl. 11 conf. abstracts & three abstracts only] |
| RCT/nRCT | RCT: 20 incl. 1 protocol and 1 pilot | RCT: 7 nRCT: 1 | RCT: 6 incl. 1 protocol nRCT: 1 | RCT: 2 incl. 1 pilot | RCT: 35 incl. 2 pilots, 2 protocol; nRCT: 2 |
| Sample size at randomization | |||||
| Missing | 1 | 1 | |||
| <20 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 20-50 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 | |
| >50–100 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 11 | |
| >100–200 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Power calculation | |||||
| a priori | 9 | 5 | 2 | 16 | |
| post hoc | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| None | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| Unclear | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| Study adequately powered (based on sample size) | 9 of 9 | 4 of 5 | 2 of 2 | 15 of 16 | |
| Study duration | |||||
| Missing | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| <3 months | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3–6 month | 3 | 3 | |||
| >6 months–1 year | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | |
| >1–2 years | 4 | 3 | 7 | ||
| >2–5 years | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| >5–10 years | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| >10 years | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Primary outcome measure(s) clearly defined | 9 + 1 used for sample size calculation | 5 | 2 + 1 used for sample size calculation | 1 | 17 + 2 based on sample size calculation |
| Type of interventions | |||||
| Surgical vs Surgical | 10 | 7 | 17 | ||
| Surgical vs Other | 1 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Other vs Other | 3 | 3 | |||
| Pharmacological vs Pharmacological | 2 (all placebo) | 1 (placebo) | 3: all placebo controlled | ||
| Post-op Rehab vs Post-op Rehab | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Post-op Pharma vs Post-op Pharma | 1 | 1 | |||
| Post-op Pharma vs No intervention | 1 | 1 | |||
ACL = Anterior cruciate ligament.
RCT = Randomized controlled trial.
nRCT = non-randomized controlled trial.