Cochrane · systematic review · CD003523
Electromagnetic fields for treating osteoarthritis
Li, S, Yu, B, Zhou, D, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2013 · Cochrane Library
MusculoskeletalAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
6
current version
GRADE rated
5
No studies
0
Included studies
NR
No studies 0 · 0%Ungraded 1 · 16.7%Very low 0 · 0%Low 2 · 33.3%Moderate 3 · 50%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Electromagnetic field treatment compared to placebo for the treatment of osteoarthritis
Population: patients with osteoarthritis
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Pain 100 mm VAS Scale from: 0 to 100 (Higher scores mean worse pain) Electromagnetic field treatment vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 6 studies · 434 participants | Moderate Downgraded: inconsistency |
Physical function WOMAC function Scale from: 0 to 100 (Higher scores mean more severe limitation) Electromagnetic field treatment vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 197 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency |
Quality of life SF‐36 item Scale from: 0 to 100 (Lower scores mean worse quality) Electromagnetic field treatment vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 145 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Radiographic progression Bone scintigraphic examinations Electromagnetic field treatment vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 78 participants | Ungraded |
Number of patients experiencing any adverse event Electromagnetic field treatment vs placebo | RR 1.17 [0.72, 1.92] | 4 studies · 288 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Number of patients who withdrew because of adverse events Electromagnetic field treatment vs placebo | RR 0.9 [0.06, 13.92] | 1 study · 78 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |