Table 2.

Results of methodological quality according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool and therapeutic validity according to the CONTENT scale

Methodological qualitya
Ref.	Randomisation (selection bias)	Equal groups (selection bias)	Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)	Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)	Selective drop-out (attrition bias)	Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Other sources of bias (other bias)
Kim et al.22	?	?	X	?	√	?	X
Carli et al.23	√	?	X	?	√	?	√
Dronkers et al.24	√	√	X	√	√	?	√
Kaibori et al.25	?	?	X	?	√	?	X
Gillis et al.26	√	√	X	?	√	?	√
Dunne et al.27	√	√	X	√	√	?	√
Barberan-Garcia et al.28	√	√	X	√	√	√	√
Bousquet-Dion et al.29	√	√	X	X	√	√	√

Therapeutic validityb
Ref.	Description patient selection	Adequate patient selection	Eligibility criteria for therapist and setting determined and adequate	Therapeutic exercise based on a priori aims and intentions	Rationale for content and intensity described and plausible	Intensity described	Therapeutic exercise monitored and adjusted when necessary	Exercises personalised and contextualised to individual	Adherence determined and acceptable	Conclusion therapeutic validity c
Kim et al. 22	√	X	√	√	√	√	X	√	X	High
Carli et al. 23	√	X	X	X	X	√	X	X	X	Low
Dronkers et al. 24	√	X	X	√	√	√	√	√	√	High
Kaibori et al. 25	√	X	X	X	X	√	X	X	X	Low
Gillis et al. 26	√	X	√	√	X	√	X	√	X	Low
Dunne et al. 27	X	X	X	√	√	√	X	√	√	Low
Barberan-Garcia et al. 28	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	High
Bousquet-Dion et al. 29	√	X	√	√	X	√	X	√	X	Low

^a√ = low risk of bias; X = high risk of bias; ? = unclear.

^b√ = adequately performed; X = inadequately performed.

^cHigh therapeutic validity: ≥6 times √; low therapeutic validity: <6 times √.