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Table 1 Overview of randomized controlled trials of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (without or without physical therapy) vs. physical therapy for adults with non-traumatic meniscal tear, published by the start of the TeMPO Trial

From: A consensus-based process identifying physical therapy and exercise treatments for patients with degenerative meniscal tears and knee OA: the TeMPO physical therapy interventions and home exercise program

Author/

Year

Population

Compar-

ison

n

Therapist Directed Therapy

Manual Therapy

Thera-

peutic Exercise

Bicycle Warm-up

Progression

Stretching

Additional Home Exercise

Improvement in both groups in primary outcome (mean, SD)

Herrlin 2007 [31]

Non-traumatic MT^; mean age 56 years; age range 45–64 years

APM with PT vs. PT alone

90

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Outcome: Change in KOOS pain (0–100) at 8 weeks

--APM: 33 SD (24.34) *

--PT: 24 (SD 27.30) *

Katz 2013 [24]

MT, mild-to-moderate OA; mean age 58.4 years; all participants ≥45 years

APM with PT vs PT alone

351

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Outcome: Change WOMAC Fuction (0–100) at 6 months

--APM: 20.9 (SD 19.42) **

--PT: 18.5 (SD 19.90) **

Yim 2013 [30]

Degenerative MT; mean age 53.8 years; age range 43–62 years

APM with PT vs. PT alone

102

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Outcome: Change in VAS Pain scale (0–100) at 2 years

--APM: 34 (SD 25.46) ***

--PT: 32 SD (21.21) ***

Gauffin 2014 [22]

Patients with knee pain and MT; mean age 54 years; age range 45–64 years

APM with PT vs PT alone

150

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Outcome: Change in KOOS Pain scale (0–100) at 12 months

--APM: 29 (SD 24.49) ****

--PT: 20 (SD 26.44) ****

Stensrud 2015 [27]

Unilateral, degenerative MT and no or mild OA; mean age 49 years; age range 35–60 years

APM vs. PT.

82

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Outcome: Change in isokinetic knee extension peak torque (Nm) at 3 months

--APM: 0.5 (SD 26.12) **

--PT: 25.2 (SD 23.88) **

Kise 2016 [25]

Patients with degenerative MT; mean age 49.5 years; age range 35.7–59.9 years

APM vs. PT

140

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Outcome: Change in KOOS4 scale (0–100) at 2 years

--APM: 24.4 (SD 15.10) **

--PT: 25.3 (SD 14.86) **

  1. ^MT = meniscal tear
  2. * SD values at baseline and 6-month follow-up for APM and PT groups estimated using method proposed by Wan et al. [43]
  3. SDd for the difference in KOOS scores for each treatment was estimated using the following equation: \( {SD}_d=\sqrt{\delta_{BL}^2+{\delta}_{6\ months}^2} \)
  4. ** SD estimated from 95% CI where \( {SD}_d=\frac{\left(\sqrt{n}\ast half- width\ of\ 95\% CI\right)}{1.96} \)
  5. *** Only SD (δBL) at baseline given, therefore, the SDd for the difference in VAS scale (0–100) was estimated by the following equation: \( {SD}_d=\sqrt{2{\delta}_{BL}} \)
  6. **** SD given at baseline and follow-up; SDd for difference in KOOS scores for each treatment estimated using the following equation: \( {SD}_d=\sqrt{\delta_{BL}^2+{\delta}_{12\ months}^2} \)