French 2013

Methods	3‐armed randomised controlled trial.
Participants	Inclusion criteria: subjective complaint of hip pain with either 1. (a) hip internal rotation < 15° and hip flexion < 115° or (b) > 15° hip internal rotation and pain on hip internal rotation, morning stiffness ≤ 60 minutes, aged > 50 years. 2. Aged 40‐80 years except in (b) above (aged > 50 years). 3. Radiological evidence of OA (2 of the following 3 criteria): osteophytes, joint space narrowing, ESR < 20 mm/hour (ACR Criteria for the Classification and Reporting of Osteoarthritis of the Hip) (Altman 1991). Exclusion criteria: previous hip arthroplasty, history of congenital/adolescent hip disease; clinical signs of lumbar spine disease; physiotherapy in previous 6 months; pregnancy; hip fracture; contraindications to exercise therapy (unstable angina/blood pressure, myocardial infarction in past 3 months, cardiomyopathy, uncontrolled metabolic disease, recent ECG changes, advanced respiratory disease, third‐degree heart block) (AGS 2001); on waiting list for joint replacement within the next 27 weeks; rheumatic diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis); intra‐articular hip corticosteroid injection in previous 30 days; insufficient English language to complete questionnaires. Country: Ireland. Sample number: IGa: 43; IGb: 45; CG: 43. Mean age: 61 years. Progress Plus: 61% women, 24% retired, 30% homemaker, 35% employed, 9% other.
Interventions	Provider(s): senior grade or clinical specialist physiotherapists. Training: yes. Setting: hospital and home. Intervention content: IGa: multicomponent: strength/resistance and manual therapy + patient information; IGb: strength/resistance + patient information no manual therapy. Length/intensity: 8 sessions over 8 weeks. Control: wait list.
Outcomes	At 9 weeks: pain (NRS pain with activity); function (WOMAC); depression (HADS); anxiety (HADS).
Notes	There are 2 French 2013 lines in some analyses: first indicated IGa and second indicated IGb.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Simple randomisation number table devised in Microsoft Excel 2003.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Group allocation by external research.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Authors stated that blinding not viable in a non‐pharmacological trial.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	No blinding undertaken.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Attrition: IGa: 7% (3/43); IGb: 7% (3/45); CG: 0% (43/43). Lost to follow‐up: IGa: 2 declined, 1 family reasons; IGb: 1 unable to contact, 1 cardiac symptoms, 2 declined, 1 surgery. ITT analysis.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	All primary outcomes reported.
Other bias	Low risk	No other bias detected.