Table 2.
Quality of evidence.
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks∗(95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) |
No of participants
(studies) |
Quality of the evidence
(GRADE) |
Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | |||||
| Control | Adverse event | |||||
| WOMAC pain-12 months | The mean WOMAC pain-12 months in the intervention groups was 4.29 lower (7.12 to 1.47 lower) | 286 (9 studies) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low1,2 | |||
| VAS-12 months | The mean VAS-12 months in the intervention groups was 1.77 lower (2.43 to 1.12 lower) | 669 (19 studies) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ very low1,2,3 | |||
| WOMAC stiffness-12 months | The mean WOMAC stiffness-12 months in the intervention groups was 0.99 lower (1.95 to 0.03 lower) | 286 (9 studies) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ low1,2 | |||
| WOMAC physical function-12 months | The mean WOMAC physical function-12 months in the intervention groups was 3.26 lower (5.91 to 0.61 lower) | 254 (8 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate1 | |||
| Adverse events | Study population | RR 1.2 (0.97 to 1.48) | 706 (17 studies) |
⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate1 | ||
| 259 per 1000 | 310 per 1000 (251 to 383) | |||||
| Moderate | ||||||
| 125 per 1000 | 150 per 1000 (121 to 185) | |||||
∗The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; RR: risk ratio; GRADE Working Group grades of evidence. High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate. 1Downgraded one level due to serious risk of bias (random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding, and incomplete outcomes), and most of the data comes from the RCTs with moderate risk of bias. 2Downgraded one level due to the probably substantial heterogeneity. 3Downgraded one level due to the potential publication bias.