Table 2 Mean difference within-groups at 2, 6 and 12 months follow up (available case analysis by GEE)

Outcomes

MD^a(95%CI)

MD^a(95%CI)

MD^a(95%CI)

MD^a(95% CI)

P value^#

P value^##

 Pain T2

−4.8 (−5.2,-4.3)^***

−4.8(− 5.4,-4.2)^***

− 4.3(− 4.6,-3.9)^***

−5.9(−6.4,-5.5)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

 T6

− 4.8(− 5.2,-4.3)^***

−4.8(− 5.4,-4.2)^***

−3.8(− 4.1,-3.4)^***

−3.1(− 3.5,-2.6)^***

< 0.001

0.003

 T12

−4.4(− 4.9,-4.0)^***

−4.4(− 4.9,-3.8)^***

−3.1(− 3.5,-2.8)^***

− 1.7(− 2.2,− 1.3)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

 FRACTION^b

45.52% (40.1,50.9)

45.37 (39.1,51.6)

33.68% (29.4,37.9)

21.72 (17.5,25.8)

Stiff T2

− 1.3(− 1.6,-1.0)^***

-1.3(− 1.6,-0.88)^***

−1.5(− 1.8,-1.3)^***

−1.2(− 1.4,-1.0)^***

0.93

0.23

T6

−1.5(− 1.8,-1.2)^***

−1.5(− 1.8,-1.0)^***

−1.5(− 1.7,-1.3)^***

−0.8(− 1.0,-0.5)^***

0.002

0.16

T12

− 1.0(− 1.3,-0.7)^***

−0.96(− 1.3,-0.6)^***

−0.8(− 1.1,-0.6)^***

−0.2(− 0.4,0.03)^***

< 0.001

0.09

FRACTION^b

40.09% (29.7,50.4)

38.15% (29.1,47.2)

38.71% (29.9,47.4)

30.86% (19.7,41.9)

Fun T2

− 11.1(− 12.6,-9.6)^***

− 11.4(− 13.2,-9.7)^***

−11.5(− 12.8,-10.2)^***

−15.9(− 17.0,-14.8)^***

0.008

0.002

T6

−12.6(− 14.1,-11.1)^***

− 13.1(− 14.-11.4)^***

−10.8(− 12.1,-9.4)^***

−8.0(− 9.1,-6.8)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

T12

− 10.0(− 11.0,-8.8)^***

− 10.5(− 12.2,-8.8)^***

−5.8(− 7.1,− 4.4)^***

-4.4(− 5.5,-3.3)

< 0.001

< 0.001

FRACTION^b

33.99% (28.5,39.4)

37.41% (31.9,42.9)

21.22% (17.2,25.2)

14.99% (11.8,18.1)

Total T2

−17.2(− 19.1,-15.3)^***

− 17.5(− 19.9,-15.3)^***

−16.4(− 18.1,-14.6)^***

−23.1(− 24.5,-21.7)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

T6

−19.0(− 20.9,-17.1)^***

− 19.4(− 21.7,-17.1)^***

− 14.7(− 16.4,-12.9)^***

−11.9(− 13.2,-10.5)^***

< 0.001

0.001

T12

−15.5(− 17.4,-13.6)^***

−15.9(− 18.2,-13.6)^***

−8.4(− 10.1,-6.7)^***

−6.4(− 7.7,-5.0)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

FRACTION^b

36.50% (31.2,41.7)

38.5% (32.9,44.09)

23.08% (19.8,26.4)

15.5% (12.4,18.6)

 Pain T2

− 1.3(− 1.7,-1.0)^***

− 1.3(− 1.6,-0.9)^***

−1.9(− 2.2,-1.6)^***

− 2.5(− 2.8,-2.2)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

 T6

− 1.7(− 2.1,-1.4)^***

− 1.7(− 2.0,-1.3)^***

−1.6(− 1.9,− 1.3)^***

-1.3(− 1.6,-1.10)^***

0.089

0.08

 T12

−1.4(− 1.8,-1.1)^***

−1.3(− 1.7,− 1.0)^***

-1.0(− 1.3,-0.7)^***

− 0.5(− 0.7,-0.2)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

 FRACTION^b

27.37% (21.4,33.3)

27.96% (21.7,34.2)

25.77% (20.3,31.2)

16.11% (11.9,20.2)

Walk T2

− 0.46(− 0.6,-0.3)^***

− 0.4(− 0.6,-0.2)^***

−0.5(− 0.7,− 0.3)^***

−0.3(− 0.4,-0.2)^***

0.34

0.97

T6

−0.3(− 0.5,-0.2)^***

-0.3(− 0.5,-0.2)^***

−0.4(− 0.5,-0.2)^***

−0.14(− 0.3,-0.02)^*

0.14

0.88

T12

−0.25(− 0.4,-0.07)^**

−0.2(− 0.3,0.01)

−0.16(− 0.3,0.01)

−0.06(− 0.2,0.06)

0.13

0.84

FRACTION^b

39.42% (28.6,50.2)

30.38% (19.5,41.2)

21.06% (11.4,30.7)

13.76% (4.8,22,7)

ADL T2

− 1.3(− 1.6,-1.0)^***

− 1.2(− 1.5,-0.9)^***

−1.3(− 1.5,-1.2)^***

−1.3(− 1.5,-1.2)^***

0.077

0.19

T6

−1.7(− 2.0,-1.4)^***

− 1.7(− 1.9,-1.4)^***

−0.9(− 1.1,-0.7)^***

−0.9(− 1.1,-0.7)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

T12

−1.1(− 1.4,-0.8)^***

−1.1(− 1.3,-0.8)^***

−0.4(− 0.6,-0.3)^***

−0.4(− 0.6,-0.3)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

FRACTION^b

21.7% (17.2,26.2)

22.2% (17.7,26.7)

10.89% (8.5,13.3)

7.07% (5.3,8.8)

Total T2

− 3.2(− 3.7,-2.6)^***

− 3.0(− 3.7,-2.4)^***

− 3.4(− 3.8,-2.9)^***

− 4.5(− 4.8,-4.1)^***

< 0.001

0.021

T6

− 3.8(− 4.4,-3.2)^***

−3.7(− 4.4,-3.1)^***

− 2.4(− 2.9,-1.9)^***

−2.2(− 2.5,-1.8)^***

< 0.001

0.006

T12

−2.8(− 3.4,-2.3)^***

−2.6(− 3.2,-1.9)^***

− 1.2(− 1.6,-0.7)^***

− 0.9(− 1.2,-0.5)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

FRACTION^b

23.52% (19.0,28.0)

22.58% (17.7,27.4)

13.37% (10.3,16.5)

11.03% (8.6,13.4)

 T2

−5.2(− 5.6,-4.8)^***

−5.2(− 5.6,-4.8)^***

−5.3(− 5.6,-4.9)^***

−5.9(− 6.3,-5.6)^***

0.008

0.022

 T6

−4.6(− 4.9,-4.2)^***

−4.5(− 4.9,-4.1)^***

−4.2(− 4.6,-3.9)^***

−4.0(− 4.3,-3.7)^***

0.02

0.013

 T12

−3.3(− 3.7,-2.9)^***

−3.4(− 3.7,-3.0)^***

−2.6(− 2.9,-2.3)^***

−1.3(− 1.6,-1.0)^***

< 0.001

< 0.001

 FRACTION^b

42.37% (37.2,47.5)

42.38% (37.3,47.5)

31.59% (27.6,22.1)

18.69% (15.2,22.1)