Cochrane · systematic review · CD011289
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for patellofemoral pain syndrome
Martimbianco, ALC, Torloni, MR, Andriolo, BNG, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2017 · Cochrane Library
Bone, Joint and Muscle TraumaAMSTAR 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
10
current version
GRADE rated
5
No studies
5
Included studies
NR
No studies 5 · 50%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 5 · 50%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%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
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation + other intervention (e.g. exercise) versus same other intervention only for patellofemoral pain syndrome
Population: people with patellofemoral pain syndrome1
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Knee pain (short term) VAS scale: 0 to 10; higher score = worse pain. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation + other intervention (e.g. exercise) vs same other intervention only | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 118 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, indirectness |
Knee pain (long term) VAS scale: 0 to 10; higher score = worse pain. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation + other intervention (e.g. exercise) vs same other intervention only | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 29 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Knee function (short term) Neuromuscular electrical stimulation + other intervention (e.g. exercise) vs same other intervention only | SMD 0.37 | 2 studies · 70 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Knee function (long term) Kujala Patellofemoral Score (KPS) (0 to 100; higher score = better function). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation + other intervention (e.g. exercise) vs same other intervention only | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 29 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Adverse events ‐ not measured Neuromuscular electrical stimulation + other intervention (e.g. exercise) vs same other intervention only | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation versus exercise for patellofemoral pain syndrome
Population: people with patellofemoral pain syndrome
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Knee pain (short term: < 3 months) Neuromuscular electrical stimulation vs exercise | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Knee pain (longer term: > 3 months) Neuromuscular electrical stimulation vs exercise | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Knee function (short term) Arpège function scale (0 to 18; higher score = better function). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation vs exercise | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 94 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, indirectness |
Knee function (longer term: > 3 months) Neuromuscular electrical stimulation vs exercise | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Adverse events Neuromuscular electrical stimulation vs exercise | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |