Table 2 Summary of included study characteristics

Chen (2014) [51]

EG: ESWT + MSE

63.0 (7.4)^‡

102/18^‡

30

RCT, DB

Popliteal cyamella

NR

Nonathlete

10–144^‡

None

Baseline

VAS^b,c; ROM^b,c

Funded

CG 1: USD + MSE

30

Posttest: ≤1, 6 months

Lequesne’s index^b,c

CG 2: MSE

30

CG 3: Non-ESWT^†

30

Geng (2017) [90]

EG: ESWT + APT

35.9 (10.2)^‡

19/41^‡

30

RCT

CPT

NR

Nonathlete

4.7 (2.8) ^‡

None

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; PTT^a,b,c

Funded

CG: CT

30

Posttest: 1 month

4-point Likert scale^c

Guan (2015) [80]

EG: ESWT

45.5 (20–80)^‡

91/55^‡

73

RCT

PAT

128/18^‡

Nonathlete

12.5 (6–36)^‡

None

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c

NR

CG: CT

73

Posttest: 6 months

Huang (2017) [88]

EG: ESWT

22.0 (3.0)

0/31

31

RCT

CPT

28/3

Athlete

12.0 (6–24)

None

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; VISA-P^a,b,c

Funded

CG: CT

21.0 (3.0)

0/30

30

29/1

11.0 (6–20)

Posttest: 1, 3, 12 months

4-point Likert scale^c

Jiang (2016) [81]

EG: ESWT

35.7 (9.1)

24/16

40

RCT

CPT

40/0

Nonathlete

4.2 (3.9)

PT

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; PI^b,c

NR

CG: Non-ESWT^†

34.4 (10.7)

21/15

36

36/0

4.7 (4.4)

Pain medication

Posttest: ≤1, 2 weeks

KOS-ADLS^a,b,c

Khosrawi (2017) [48]

EG: ESWT

49.4 (7.8)

16/4

20

RCT, SB

PAT

NR

Nonathlete

> 3 months^‡

STE

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; MPQ^a,b,c

Funded

CG: Sham ESWT

50.2 (8.1)

15/5

20

Pain medication

Posttest: ≤1, 2 months

Liu (2016) [82]

EG: ESWT

22.1 (1.5)

22/28

50

RCT, SB

CPT

50/0

Athlete

4.9 (1.3, 3–6)

APT

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; VISA-P^a,b,c

Funded

CG: Iontophoresis

22.2 (1.3)

23/27

50

50/0

5.0 (1.1, 3–6)

Massage

Posttest: ≤1, 3, 6, 12 months

4-point RMS^c

Taunton (2003) [83]

EG: ESWT

23–52^‡

5/5

10

RCT, SB

CPT

NR

Athlete

> 3 months ^‡

None

Baseline

VISA-P^a,b,c

Funded

CG: Sham ESWT

5/5

10

Posttest: ≤1, 3 months

Vertical jump test^b,c

Thijs (2017) [84]

EG: ESWT

30.5 (8.0)

8/14

22

RCT, DB

CPT

NR

Nonathlete

16.3 (18.2, 3–78)

ET exercise

Baseline

VAS^a,b; VISA-P^a,b

NR

CG: Sham ESWT

27.3 (5.2)

6/24

30

24.9 (31.6, 3–125)

Posttest: ≤1, 3, 6 months

6-point Likert scale

Vetrano (2013) [85]

EG: ESWT

26.8 (8.5)

6/17

23

RCT, SB

CPT

23/0

Athlete

17.6 (20.2)

STE

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; VISA-P^a,b,c

NR

CG: PRP

26.9 (9.1)

3/20

23

23/0

18.9 (19.1)

Posttest: 2, 6, 12 months

MBS^a,b,c

Wang (2014) [86]

EG: ESWT

28.3 (7.4)

5/21

26

RCT, SB

ACL reconstruction

26/0

Nonathlete

21.4 (22.5, 1–72)

PT

Baseline

LFS^a,b,c

Funded

CG: Non-ESWT^†

27.7 (7.7)

6/21

27

27/0

15.4 (21.9, 1–84)

Posttest: 12, 24 months

IKDC score^a,b

Weckström (2016) [52]

EG: ESWT

23.7 (2.0)

6/14

11

RCT

ITBS

NR

Nonathlete

60.4 (53.7)

MSE

Baseline

11-point NRS^b;

NR

CG: CT

24.2 (2.2)

7/13

13

42.3 (65.1)

STE

Posttest: 1, 2, 12 months

Treadmill test

Wu (2009) [91]

EG: ESWT

15.9 (11–19)

9/21

30

RCT

OSD

NR

Athlete

3–36

None

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; MPQ^a,b,c

NR

CG: USD

16.5 (14.–19)

7/23

30

3–36

Posttest: 0, 3 months

3-point Likert scale^c

Wu (2016) [89]

EG: ESWT

26.0 (19–38)^‡

7/55^‡

31

RCT

ACL injury

31/0

Nonathlete

3.8 (1–12)^‡

PT

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c

NR

CG: Non-ESWT^†

31

31/0

Posttest: ≤1 month

4-point Likert scale^c

Yang (2007) [16]

EG: ESWT

34.0 (7.4)

6/22

28

RCT

PTKS

28/0

Nonathlete

6.0 (5.3)

MSE

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; ROM^a,b,c

NR

CG: CPM

33.0 (8.4)

9/20

29

29/0

6.0 (3.3)

Posttest: ≤1 month

4-point Likert scale^c

Zhang (2016) [92]

EG: ESWT

48.0 (4.6)

10/8

18

RCT, SB

Traumatic synovitis

18/0

Nonathlete

1–2

APT; MSE

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; ROM^a,b,c;

Funded

CG: Non-ESWT^†

50.0 (5.8)

11/7

18

18/0

1–2

Posttest: 2, 4, 6 weeks

Swelling^a,b,c; LFS^a,b,c 4-point Likert scale

Zhang (2017) [17]

EG: ESWT

34.8 (5.6)

7/21

28

RCT

PTKS

28/0

Nonathlete

4.7 (2.3)

PT

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c; ROM^a,b,c;

NR

CG: Non-ESWT^†

35.5 (4.9)

9/17

26

26/0

4.3 (2.6)

Posttest: 0 month

HSS^a,b,c; 4-point Likert scale

Zhou (2015) [53]

EG: ESWT

25.0 (18–30)^‡

30/30^‡

30

RCT

IPFP injury

50/10

Athlete

24 (1–48)^‡

None

Baseline

VAS^a,b,c;

NR

CG: APT

30

Posttest: ≤1 month

4-point Likert scale^c

Zwerver (2011) [87]

EG: ESWT

24.2 (5.2)

11/20

31

RCT, DB

CPT

18/13

Athlete

7.3 (3.6)

Sports participation

Baseline

VAS ^a,b; VISA-P ^a,b;

Funded

CG: Sham ESWT

25.7 (4.5)

10/21

31

13/18

8.1 (3.8)

Medical treatment

Posttest: ≤1, 3, 6 months

Knee-loading pain test