PEDro quality ratings for included RCTs
| Study | Score per PEDro item | Total score | Quality | ||||||||||
| i* | ii | iii | iv | v | vi | vii | viii | ix | x | xi | |||
| Exercise | |||||||||||||
| Bolgla et al 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Moderate |
| Sahin et al 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | Moderate |
| Combined interventions | |||||||||||||
| Banan Khojaste et al 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Moderate |
| Taping and bracing | |||||||||||||
| Kurt et al 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | High |
| Petersen et al 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Low |
| Adjunctive interventions | |||||||||||||
| Behrangrad and Kamali29 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Moderate |
| Esculier et al 18 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Moderate |
| Giles et al 28 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | High |
| Espī-López et al 27 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | High |
| Orscelik and Yildiz31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Low |
| Roper et al 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | Moderate |
| Telles et al 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Low |
High quality: total score ≥7; moderate quality: total score 4–6; low quality: total score ≤3.
Scoring: 0, no or unable to determine; 1, yes.
*Item does not contribute to total score.
i, eligibility criteria; ii, random allocation; iii, concealed allocation; iv, baseline comparability; ix, intention-to-treat analysis; PEDro, Physiotherapy Evidence Database; RCTs, randomised controlled trials; v, blind subjects; vi, blind therapists; vii, blind assessors; viii, adequate follow-up; x, between-group comparisons; xi, point estimates and variability.