Table 2.
Methodological assessment of randomized controlled trials included in the systematic review using the PEDro scale and Cochrane risk-of-bias tool
| PEDro Criterion | Llamas-Ramos et al. 2014 | Sobhani et al. 2014 |
Campa-Moran et al. 2015 |
Segura-Orti et. al 2016 |
De Meulemeester et al. 2017 |
Ziaeifar et al. 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eligibility criteria specified | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y |
| Random allocation | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Concealed allocation | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N |
| Baseline comparability | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Blinding of subjects | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Blinding of therapists | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Blinding of assessors | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N |
| Adequate follow-up | Y | N | Y | N | Y | N |
| Intention to treat | Y | N | Y | N | N | N |
| Between-group comparison | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Point estimates and variability | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Total Score | 8/10 | 5/10 | 7/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Cochrane risk-of-bias | Llamas-Ramos et al. 2014 |
Sobhani et al. 2014 |
Campa-Moran et al. 2015 |
Segura-Orti et. al 2016 |
De Meulemeester et al. 2017 |
Ziaeifar et al. 2017 |
| Selection bias Random sequence generation |
Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Selection bias Allocation concealment |
Low | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | High |
| Reporting bias Selective reporting |
Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Other bias Other sources of bias |
Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Performance bias Blinding (participants and personnel) |
Low | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Unclear |
| Detection bias Blinding (outcome assessment) |
Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | High |
| Attrition bias Incomplete outcome data |
Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Overall RoB | Some concerns * | Some concerns* | Some concerns* | Some concerns* | Some concerns | High risk |
Y = Yes, N = No, RoB = risk of bias, *required a 3rd reviewer