Table 1.
Characteristics of eligible randomized controlled trials included in the meta-analysis.
| First author-Year | Characteristics of subject | Intervention group (I) Comparison group (C) |
LIPUS parameter | Treatment duration | Joint Kellgren and Lawrence class rating | Outcome measurements | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huang
29
-2005 |
Taiwan, China Age: 40-77 years M/F: 113/27 |
(I) LIPUS + Isokinetic exercises n = 35 (C) Isokinetic exercises n = 35 |
1MHZ,2.5W/cm2 | 5 min/ 3 times a week 8 weeks |
Knee (Altman grade II) |
①②⑩⑬⑯ | 1 year |
| Huang
30
-2005 |
Taiwan, China Age: 42-72 years M/F: 20/100 |
(I) LIPUS + Isokinetic exercises n = 30 (C) Isokinetic exercises n = 30 |
1MHZ, 2.5W/cm2 | 5 min/ 3 times a week 8 weeks |
Knee (Altman grade II) |
①②⑩⑬⑯ | 1 year |
| Tascioglu
31
-2010 |
Turkey Age: 54-70 years M/F: 25/56 |
(I) LIPUS n = 28 (C) Sham LIPUS + Placebo n = 27 |
1MHZ, 2W/cm2 | 5 min/ 5 times a week 2 weeks |
Knee, 2-3 | ①④⑮ | 2 weeks |
| Loyola
32
-2012 |
Canada Age:≥45 years M/F: 21/27 |
(I) LIPUS n = 13 (C) Sham LIPUS n = 14 |
1MHZ, 0.2W/cm2 112.5J/cm2 |
3 times a week, 8 weeks |
Knee (OARSI-Medical JSN, grade 1 or 2) |
④⑭ | 2 months |
| Li
33
-2013 |
China Age: 39-72 years M/F: 32/76 |
(I) LIPUS + Sodium hyaluronate n = 30 (C) Sodium hyaluronate n = 30 |
1MHZ | 35 min/ the first week 20 min/the next 4 weeks 3 times a week 8 weeks |
Knee, 1-3 | ①② | 5 weeks |
| Cakir
34
-2014 |
Turkey Age: 40-80 years M/F: 13/47 |
(I) LIPUS + Self-discipline n = 20 (C) Sham LIPUS + Self-discipline n = 20 |
1MHZ, 1W/cm2 | 12 min/ 5 times a week 2 weeks |
Knee, 2-3 | ①④⑮ | 6 months |
| Yildiz
35
-2015 |
Turkey Age: 40-65 years M/F: 15/75 |
(I) LIPUS n = 30 (C) Sham LIPUS + Placebo n = 30 |
1MHZ, 1.5W/cm2 | 5 min/ 5 times a week 2 weeks |
Knee, 2-3 | ①②⑩ | 2 months |
| Gao
36
-2016 |
China Age: 25-45 years M/F: 32/76 |
(I) LIPUS + NSAID (a) n = 20 (C) NSAID (a) n = 20 |
3MHZ, 40mW/cm2 | 20 min/ 6 times a week 6 weeks |
Knee (ICRS, grades I-II) | ①③④⑪ | 6 weeks |
| Jia
37
-2016 |
China Age:≥40 years M/F: 30/76 |
(I) LIPUS + NSAID (b) n = 53 (C) NSAID (b) n = 53 |
0.6 MHZ, 120mW/cm2 a pulse repetition frequency 300HZ | 20 min/ 1 time a day 10 times in 2 weeks |
Knee, 2-3 | ①②④⑤⑩⑬ | 12 weeks |
| Cheng
38
-2019 |
China Age: 43-71 years M/F: 45/56 |
LIPUS + NSAID (b) n = 52 (C) NSAID (b) n = 52 |
3MHZ, 40mW/cm2 0.6MHZ,30mW/cm2 |
40 min, 4 weeks | unclear | ①③⑥⑦⑧ | 4 weeks |
| Luo
39
-2019 |
China Age:≥40 years M/F: 25/50 |
(I) LIPUS + NSAID (b) n = 36 (C) NSAID (b) n = 39 |
3MHZ,40mW/cm2 0.6MHZ,30mW/cm2 |
40 min, 8 weeks | Knee, 1-3 | ①②③ | 8 weeks |
| Kim
40
-2019 |
Korea Age: 25-45 years M/F: 32/76 |
(I) LIPUS + TENs n = 19 (C) TENs n = 19 |
1MHZ, 0.1W/cm2 | 20 min,≤3 times a day, >10 times a week, 8 weeks | Knee, 1-4 | ①④⑤⑫ | 1 month |
| Karakas
41
-2020 |
Turkey Age:≥40 years M/F: 12/63 |
(I) LIPUS + Self-discipline n = 36 (C) Sham LIPUS + Self-discipline n = 36 |
1MHZ, 1W/cm2 | 10 min, 3 times a week 8 weeks |
Knee, 2-3 | ①④⑨ | 12 weeks |
LIPUS: low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, TENs: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, (I): Intervention group, (c): Comparison group, M: male, F: female, NSAID: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, NSAID (a): Celecoxib capsules NSAID (b): Diclofenac sodium sustained-release tablets, n: participants, OARSI: Osteoarthritis Research Society International, JSN: joint space narrowing, ICRS: International cartilage repair society.
①Visual analog scale (VAS) ②Lequesne index ③Lysholm score ④Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score ⑤short form 36 item general health questionnaire (SF-36) ⑥Activity of daily living (ADL) ⑦Noyes articular cartilage defects ⑧score evaluation of clinical symptoms ⑨Timed up and go test (TUG) ⑩Range of motion (ROM) ⑪Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) T2 weighted image ⑫Femoral articular cartilage (FAC) thickness⑬50 meters walking time ⑭6 min walk test⑮20 meters walking time ⑯muscle peak torques during knee flexion (MPT).