Svernlov 2009.

Methods	RCT
Participants	70 people (age range 17 to 72 years; 31 male, 39 female) with clinical mild or moderate ulnar neuropathy at the elbow classified with the Dellon’s staging system. 12 participants only had abnormal findings at the electrophysiological evaluation. Exclusion criteria: "Patients with past or present symptoms of neck problems, clinical signs of another nerve problem, previous trauma or surgery to the same arm, arthritis or palpable swelling at the elbow or subluxations of the ulnar nerve"
Interventions	night splinting for 3 months and "written information of the anatomy of the ulnar nerve, an explanation of the probable pathomechanics and the regimen regarding the avoidance of movements and positions provoking the symptoms" (21 participants) nerve gliding exercises and written information (15 participants) written information only (15 participants)
Outcomes	Clinical outcome: strength of the fifth digit and grip strength measured by 2 different dynamometers VAS Electrophysiological outcome (preoperatively performed in all participants, postoperatively in 45 participants): ulnar motor and sensory nerve conduction studies, electromyography Participants assessed their symptoms according to the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM).
Conflicts of interest	No information provided.
Study funding	No information provided.
Notes	Performed between March 1997 and December 2000. Follow‐up at 6 months after surgery. 2 centres, Denmark and Sweden
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Method of sequence generation is not clearly described.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "patients were then randomised using sequentially numbered, sealed envelopes into three groups for different treatments"
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Participants were not blinded.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Quote: "Another, independent, occupational therapist at each centre evaluated the patients before and 6 months after starting the study"
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) Clinical or neurophysiological outcome	Low risk	Quote: "Thirteen patients ... in the primarily randomized patients completed the programme but were unavailable for the follow‐up at 6 months. Six did not attend because of practical or personal reasons and seven had developed other symptoms (such as carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylalgia, impingement syndrome or neck pain). Another six patients, two from each group, underwent surgical decompression because of persistent symptoms"
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Results from all the outcome measures are reported.
Other bias	Unclear risk	The sample size was not calculated. The authors do not specify if the study was designed to be a non‐inferiority or a superiority trial. Only 24% of participants had neurophysiological evidence of UNE.