Table 3.
Certainty of evidence (GRADE).
| Certainty assessment | № of patients | Effect | Certainty | Importance | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| № of studies | Study design | Risk of bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Other considerations | Acupuncture + Rehab | Rehab | Relative (95% CI) | Absolute risk difference between two groups (95% CI) | ||
| FMA UPPER LIMB | ||||||||||||
| 29 | Randomized trials | Seriousa | Seriousb | Not serious | Not serious | None | 1,177 | 1,154 | – | MD 8.01 higher (6.69 higher to 9.33 higher) | ⊕⊕○○ LOW | Critical |
| VAS | ||||||||||||
| 25 | Randomized trials | Seriousa | Seriousb | Not serious | Not serious | None | 959 | 937 | – | MD 1.59 lower (1.86 lower to 1.32 lower) | ⊕⊕○○ LOW | Critical |
| ADL | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Randomized trials | Seriousa | Seriousb | Not serious | Not serious | None | 450 | 446 | – | MD 9.99 higher (5.91 higher to 14.06 higher) | ⊕⊕○○ LOW | Important |
| ROM Abduction | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Randomized trials | Seriousa | Not serious | Not serious | Seriousc | None | 113 | 111 | – | MD 11.94 degree higher (9.44 higher to 14.45 higher) | ⊕⊕○○ LOW | Important |
a
Lack of blinding of participants and personnel.
b
Substantial statistical heterogeneity.
c
Small sample size limits certainty of results.
FMA, Fugl-Meyer Assessment; VAS, visual analog scale; ADL, activities of daily living; ROM, range of motion; Rehab, rehabilitation; CI, Confidence interval; MD, Mean difference; GRADE, The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.