Table 1.

Characteristics and PEDro methodological quality scores of included studies (n = 7).

Study, PEDro quality, language of publication	Participants		Intervention	Duration of intervention	EF, climacturia outcomes mean (SD)/number
	Study design, age a (years), surgery	Number (Exp/Con)
Dorey et al. 24 PEDro: 6/10 English	Randomized cross-over 59.5 (2.1) TURP	25/25	Exp: PFMT + BFB Con: No treatment for first three months. At three months, intervention similar to experimental group	30-minute sessions once a week for five weeks. No information about who provided treatment	EF (three months) Exp: 17.2 (9.7) Con: 8.4 (7.3) Score: not reported Climacturia NE
Fode et al. 27 PEDro: 5/10 English	Parallel-group RCT Median (range): Exp: 62 (46–73) Con: 65 (49–76) RP	30/38	Exp: PFMT + PVS PVS: Amplitude: 2 mm; frequency: 100 Hz; Duration: 10 seconds of stimulation followed by a 10-second pause Con: One preoperative session of PFMT	Daily stimulation for six weeks. No information about who provided treatment	EF (three months) Exp: 5 Con: 4 EF (12 months) Exp: 16 Con: 12 Score ⩾ 18 Climacturia NE
Lin et al. 29 PEDro: 6/10 English	Randomized cross-over 65.7 (6.12) RP	35/27	Exp: PFMT + BFB Con: No treatment for first three months. At three months, same treatment as for experimental group	Two one-to-one sessions. No information about who provided treatment	EF (three months) Exp: 5.8 (2.3) Con: 5.0 (0.2) EF (12 months) Exp: 1 Con: 0 Score ⩾ 18 Climacturia NE
Glazener et al. 25 PEDro: 7/10 English	Parallel-group RCT 62.4 (5.8) RP	EF: 189/190 Climacturia: 135/139	Exp: PFMT alone Con: no treatment	Four one-to-one sessions of PFMT by a physical therapist over a period of three months	EF (12 months) Exp: 84 Con: 85 Exp: 6.0 (3.3) Con: 6.5 (3.1) Score: NR. Study reports number of men not able to achieve any erection Climacturia (12 months) Exp: 109 Con: 109
Glazener et al. 26 PEDro: 7/10 English	Parallel-group RCT 68.2 (7.7) TURP	EF: 177/178 Climaturia: 135/133	Exp: PFMT alone Con: No treatment	Four one-to-one sessions of PFMT by a physical therapist over a period of three months	EF (12 months) Exp: 125 Con: 135 Exp: 4.2 (3.7) Con: 4.6 (3.9) Score: NR. Study reports number of men not able to achieve any erection Climacturia (12 months) Exp: 132 Con: 130
Prota et al. 30 PEDro: 4/10 English	Parallel-group RCT 62.4 (6.4) RP	17/16	Exp: PFMT + BFB Con: No treatment	Once a week for three months by a physical therapist	EF six months Exp: 4 Con: 1 EF 12 months Exp: 8 Con: 2 Score ⩾ 20 Climacturia NE
Geraerts et al. 28 PEDro: 5/10 English	Parallel-group RCT 61.1 (5.8) RP	EF:14/16 Climacturia: 14/17	Exp: PFMT + ES ES: Frequency: 50 Hz; pulse duration: 600 µs Con: No treatment for first 15 months. At 15 months, similar treatment as for experimental group	Once a week for six weeks followed by once every fortnight for another six weeks by therapist.	EF 15 months Exp: 4 Con: 5 Exp: 11.1 (8.8) Con: 9.3 (7.1) Score ⩾ 18 Climacturia (15 months) Exp: 6 Con: 0:

BFB: biofeedback; Con: control group; EF: erectile function; ES: electrical stimulation; Exp: experimental group; NE: not evaluated; NR: not reported; PFMT: pelvic floor muscle training; PVS: penile vibratory stimulator; RP: radical prostatectomy; TURP: trans urethral resection of the prostate; RCT: randomized controlled trial.

^aAge reported as mean and SD unless specified.