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. 2021 Jul 21;22:633. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04485-1

Table 5.

Comparison of observed effects of usual exercise therapy for each subgroup with hypothesized effects (research question 3; findings resulting in accepted hypotheses in bold)

Low muscle strength subgroup Obesity subgroup High muscle strength subgroup
Observed Hypothesized Observed Hypothesized Observed Hypothesized
Knee pain
 Effect size1 1.05 0.8 ± 0.2 1.10 0.5 ± 0.2 0.82 0.2 ± 0.2
 % persons with MIC2 70% > 67% 72% 33–67% 66% < 33%
Physical function
 Effect size1 0.79 0.8 ± 0.2 0.78 0.5 ± 0.2 0.49 0.2 ± 0.2
 % persons with MIC3 79% > 67% 76% 33–67% 76% < 33%
Quad. strength / 30s-CST
 Effect size1 0.74/ 0.73 0.8 ± 0.2 0.27/ 0.60 0.5 ± 0.2 0.19/ 0.32 0.2 ± 0.2
 % persons with MIC4,5 49% / 31% > 67% 32% / 28% 33–67% 7% / 9% < 33%

MIC = minimal important change. 1 Effect size (within-group) = change score within group / standard deviation at baseline; 2 MIC defined as improvement on NRS/VAS pain (0–100) ≥ 15% and/or ≥ 1 point [25]; 3MIC defined as improvement on WOMAC physical function (0–100) ≥ 12% [26]; 4 MIC defined as improvement on quadriceps strength ≥30% [27]; 5 MIC defined as improvement on 30s-CST ≥ 2 repetitions [28]