Table 1.
The basic characteristics description of included studies.
| Duration of RA, y | Therapy | No. of patients | Age | Gender | ||||||||
| Study | Country | T | C | T | C | T | C | T | C | T | C | Jadad score |
| Joan Mcmeeken 1999 | USA | – | – | Quadriceps strength training, maximum load 70%, 4 times/wk, 40–80 min, 24 weeks | Routine nursing | 17 | 18 | 51.4 | 49.7 | 15F | 14F | 3 |
| C.H.M. van denEnde 2000 | Netherlands | 8 | 7 | Quadriceps strength training and shoulder strength training, maximum load 60%, 3 times/wk, 15 min, 4 weeks | ROM exercise | 34 | 30 | 62 | 58 | 20F | 20F | 5 |
| Hilary G. Flint-Wagner 2009 | USA | 11.2 ± 8.9 | 15.4 ± 10.8 | Leg and arm strength training, maximum load 90%, 3 times/wk, 75 min, 16 weeks | Routine nursing | 16 | 8 | 52.2 | 49 | – | – | 4 |
| L.M.Bearne 2002 | UK | - | - | Quadriceps strength training, maximum load 100%, 2 times/wk, 30–45 min, 5 weeks | Routine nursing | 47 | 46 | – | – | – | – | 5 |
| Amir I. Buljina 2001 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.04 ± 4.80 | 5.23 ± 4.89 | Grip strength training, maximum load 85%, 7 times/wk, 20–30 min, 3 weeks | Routine nursing | 50 | 50 | 47.94 | 48.46 | 38F | 37F | 3 |
| A. Haè Kkinen 1997 | Fineland | - | - | Quadriceps strength training, maximum load 40–80%, 2–3 times/wk, 24 weeks | Routine nursing | 21 | 18 | 41.4 | 45.6 | – | – | 3 |
| Arja Hakkinen 2001 | Fineland | 10 | 8 | Lumbar, leg and arm strength training, maximum load 50–70%, 2 times/wk, 30–45 min, 104 weeks | ROM exercise | 31 | 31 | 49 | 49 | 18F | 20F | 4 |
| Andrew B. Lemmey 2009 | USA | 6.17 ± 6.33 | 10.42 ± 8.42 | Leg and arm strength training, maximum load 80%, 2 times/wk, 24 weeks | ROM exercise | 13 | 15 | 55.6 | 60.6 | 11F | 12F | 4 |
| C. BostrÎm 1998 | Sweden | 10.5 (0.3–27) | 7 (3–43) | Shoulder strength training, maximum load 30%, 3 times/wk, 40–60 min, 10 weeks | Anaerobic exercise | 20 | 17 | 56 | 59 | – | – | 3 |
| Usmary S. Siqueira 2017 a | USA | 7.7 ± 2.9 | 8.5 ± 4 | Land-based aerobic group, knee, hip and lower limbr strength training, maximum load 90%, 5–30 min, 3 times/wk, 16 weeks | Routine nursing | 33 | 34 | 54 | 53.2 | - | - | 5 |
| Usmary S. Siqueira 2017 b | USA | 9.2 ± 3.1 | 8.5 ± 4 | Water-based aerobic group, knee, hip and lower limbr strength training, maximum load 90%, 5–30 min, 3 times/wk, 16 weeks | Routine nursing | 33 | 34 | 55 | 53.2 | - | - | 5 |
| Jeong-Hun Shin 2015 | Korea | 10.3 ± 9.4 | 15.4 ± 8.0 | Arm and leg strength training (Tai Chi exercise), 1 times/wk, 60 min, 3 months | Routine nursing | 29 | 14 | 64 | 62.7 | – | – | 5 |
| Susan V.Baxter 2015 | New Zealand | 16 ± 10.9 | 11 ± 11.2 | Walking programme | Routine nursing | 11 | 22 | 66.6 | 59.4 | – | – | 3 |
| Laura Durcan 2014 | Ireland | - | - | Walking programme, 30–60 min/d | Routine nursing | 40 | 38 | 61 | 59 | 30F | 20F | 5 |
| Keegan Knittle 2013 | Netherlands | - | - | - | - | 38 | 40 | 60.7 | 64.7 | 30F | 22F | 3 |
| Victoria L. Manning 2014 | UK | 1.67 ± 1.50 | 1.67 ± 1.58 | - | - | 52 | 56 | 53 | 57 | 44F | 38F | 3 |
| Antonios Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou 2012 | UK | 5.5 (3.0–9.7) | 7.0 (5.0–10.0) | Strength training, 3 times/wk, 60 min, 3–6 months | Routine nursing | 18 | 18 | 55 | 52.8 | 14F | 14F | 3 |
| Andrew B. Lemme 2012 | UK | 6.85 ± 7.34 | 7.89 ± 7.59 | - | - | 9 | 9 | 55.7 | 59.4 | 8F | 6F | 3 |