Topic | Objective(s) | Synthesis type | RoB and certainty of evidence tools |
Burden of traumatic ACL or meniscal tear17 | Primary: synthesise evidence on physical activity, work limitations, health/economic costs, disease burden, and HRQoL outcomes ≥2 years after traumatic ACL and/or meniscal injury Secondary: determine the burden of living with knee symptoms and OA after traumatic ACL and/or meniscal injury | Meta-analyses Narrative | RoB: NIHQAT34
Certainty: GRADE50 |
Risk factors for knee OA after traumatic knee injury29 | Primary: identify and quantify the magnitude of potential modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for symptomatic and structural knee OA following a traumatic knee injury | Meta-analyses and semi-quantitative | RoB: QUIPS51
Certainty: GRADE approach for prognostic factor reviews52 |
Rehabilitation after traumatic ACL and meniscal tear: clinical outcomes30 | Primary: critically appraise and synthesise systematic review evidence of RCTs assessing rehabilitation interventions following ACL and/or meniscal tear to improve symptomatic, functional, clinical, psychosocial or quality of life outcomes and prevent re-injury | Narrative | RoB: ROBIS tool53
Certainty: GRADE54 |
Rehabilitation after traumatic ACL and meniscal tear: structural and molecular biomarkers35 | Primary: synthesise existing RCT evidence of different management strategies and rehabilitation approaches to ACL and/or meniscal tear on structural and molecular biomarkers of knee joint health | Narrative | RoB: Cochrane ROB 2.0 tool1
Certainty: GRADE43 |
Meaningful thresholds for patient reported outcomes for traumatic ACL or meniscal tear36 | Primary: identify, critically appraise and synthesise estimates for thresholds defining meaningful PROs scores for use with individuals treated for a traumatic ACL tear and/or meniscal injury | Meta-analyses Narrative | Credibility: MIDCAT55 |
Measurement properties of functional performance tests following traumatic ACL or meniscal tear38 | Primary: synthesise and critically appraise the measurement properties of functional performance tests in individuals following ACL and/or meniscal tear | Meta-analyses Narrative | RoB: COSMIN checklist48 56
Certainty: GRADE approach for PROs57 |
Measurement properties of muscle strength tests following traumatic ACL or meniscal tear37 | Primary: synthesise and critically appraise the measurement properties of knee extensor and flexor strength in individuals following ACL and/or meniscal tear | Meta-analyses Narrative | RoB: COSMIN checklist48 58
Certainty: GRADE approach for PROs57 |
ACL, anterior cruciate ligament; COSMIN, COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach; HRQoL, health-related quality of life; MIDCAT, Minimal Important Difference Credibility Assessment Tool; NIHQAT, National Institute of Health Quality Assessment Tools; OA, osteoarthritis; PROs, patient-reported outcomes; QUIPS, Quality in Prognosis Studies; RCT, randomised controlled trial; ROB, risk-of-bias; ROBIS, Risk of Bias In Systematic reviews.