Association of trial characteristics with overall quality as assessed by Jadad (range, 0–5), Delphi list (0–9), and numeric rating scale (1–10) scores. Values are mean (SEM).
| Jadad Scale | Delphi Scale | NRS Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All studies | 2.36 (1.4) | 5.33 (1.57) | 4.30 (2.6) |
| Funding support | p = 0.05 | p = 0.01 | p = 0.006 |
| No information | 2.17 (0.132) | 5.07 (0.15) | 3.85 (0.237) |
| None | 1.90 (0.308) | 4.76 (0.275) | 3.33 (0.509) |
| Private | 2.73 (0.178) | 5.84 (0.957) | 5.10 (0.334) |
| Private and public | 2.75 (0.629) | 5.5 (0.957) | 5.25 (1.493) |
| Public | 2.78 (0.619) | 5.89 (0.716) | 5.44 (1.26) |
| No. of centers | p = 0.005 | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 |
| < 2 | 2.19 (0.153) | 4.74 (0.150) | 3.80 (0.282) |
| ≥ 2 | 3.03 (0.264) | 6.43 (0.289) | 5.76 (0.467) |
| Not clear | 2.21 (0.142) | 5.33 (0.157) | 4.07 (0.264) |
| No. of patients | p = 0.003 | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 |
| < 50 | 2.14 (0.164) | 5.16 (0.177) | 3.87 (0.304) |
| 51–100 | 2.20 (0.153) | 4.95 (0.155) | 3.88 (0.277) |
| 101–500 | 2.64 (0.225) | 5.71 (0.267) | 4.91 (0.417) |
| > 500 | 3.50 (0.344) | 6.93 (0.412) | 6.71 (0.641) |
| Year of publication | p = 0.742 | p = 0.991 | p = 0.708 |
| 1997 | 2.40 (0.166) | 5.33 (0.207) | 4.19 (0.311) |
| 2006 | 2.33 (0.126) | 5.32 (0.133) | 4.34 (0.186) |
| Type of intervention | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 |
| Pharmacological | 3.02 (0.172) | 6.26 (0.218) | 5.44 (0.351) |
| Nonpharmacological | 1.89 (0.111) | 4.75 (0.104) | 3.52 (0.194) |
| Both | 3.23 (0.1) | 5.77 (0.469) | 5.38 (0.828) |
| Type of intervention | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 |
| Oral | 2.69 (0.414) | 5.62 (0.538) | 4.69 (0.95) |
| Intravenous | 3.24 (0.338) | 6.59 (0.403) | 5.59 (0.67) |
| Intraarticular | 3.13 (0.243) | 6.40 (0.294) | 5.83 (0.468) |
| Surgery | 1.96 (0.144) | 4.82 (0.135) | 3.58 (0.249) |
| Rehabilitation | 2.00 (0.378) | 4.88 (0.398) | 4.00 (0.681) |
| > 1 intervention | 2.87 (0.401) | 5.73 (0.527) | 4.87 (0.810) |
| Others | 1.90 (0.204) | 4.76 (0.192) | 3.60 (0.366) |
| Impact factor | p = 0.01 | p = 0.004 | p = 0.005 |
| ≤ 0.5 | 2.29 (0.522) | 5.43 (0.571) | 4.14 (1.01) |
| > 0.5–1 | 2.14 (0.257) | 4.93 (0.263) | 3.86 (0.457) |
| > 1–2 | 2.21 (0.145) | 5.15 (0.161) | 4.06 (0.262) |
| > 2–5 | 2.71 (0.197) | 5.82 (0.228) | 4.98 (0.367) |
| > 5–10 | 3.75 (0.479) | 7.00 (1.080) | 7.25 (1.380) |
| > 10 | 4.33 (0.333) | 7.33 (0.333) | 8.00 (0.577) |
| Type of journal | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 | p < 0.001 |
| Orthopedics/surgery | 2.01 (0.117) | 4.98 (0.115) | 3.71 (0.202) |
| Other/rehabilitation | 2.40 (0.521) | 5.40 (0.581) | 4.00 (0.989) |
| Anesthesia | 3.06 (0.235) | 5.97 (0.311) | 5.44 (0.478) |
| Internal medicine | 3.07 (0.238) | 6.07 (0.366) | 5.63 (0.542) |