Characteristics of included studies
| Study | No of participants; age, years, mean (SD) | Intervention (Follow-up) | Outcome tool | Calculation method (Measure extracted) |
| Tubach, 200514 | 603; 67.9 (10.2) | NSAID (4 weeks) | Pain on VAS on movement; Patient’s global assessment of disease activity on a VAS; WOMAC-function subscale | Anchor (MIC) |
| Mills, 201615 | 272; NR | Non-surgical (26,52 weeks) | KOOS-pain, activities of daily living, quality of life | Anchor (MIC and MID) |
| McCarthy, 200433 | 15; 65.1 (11.3) | Exercises (1 week) | Aggregated locomotor function score; 8 m walk time; Stair ascent and descent time; Transferring time | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Harris, 201335 | 134; 59 (11) | Non-operative (3 months) | OKS-pain, function, summary; ICOAP; KOOS-PS | Anchor (MIC, MID); Distribution (MDC90) |
| Klokker, 201636 | 41; NR | exercises (12 weeks) | DAP | Anchor (MID) |
| Angst, 201837 | 190; 66.1 (10.2) | Rehabilitation (3 months) | WOMAC-pain, function, functional standing/walking and stiffness; SF-36-bodily pain, physical functioning, role-physical, vitality, social functioning, mental and general | Anchor (MID); Distribution (MDC95) |
| Hmamouchi, 201238 | 173; 57.1 (10.1) | NSAID (6 weeks) | WOMAC-total | Anchor (MID) |
| Mostafaee, 202139 | 142; 58.3 (7.6) | Physiotherapy (4 weeks) | KOOS-pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, sports and recreation, and quality of life | Anchor (MID) |
| Ornetti, 201140 | 881; 67.1 (10.9) | NSAID (4 weeks) | WOMAC-function; Patient-reported functional disability on an NRS; Physician reported functional disability on an NRS | Anchor (MIC) |
| Singh, 201441 | 137; NR | Conservative (2 weeks) | ICOAP-pain, constant pain, intermittent pain; KOOS-PS; KOOS-quality of life | Anchor (MIC); Distribution (MDC90) |
| Williams, 201242 | 159; NR | Exercise (2, 6, 12 months) | KOS-activities of daily living subscale; LEFS; WOMAC-total | Anchor (MID); Distribution (MDC90, MDC95) |
| Perrot, 201343 | 1606; 66.9 (9.0) | Usual care (7 days) | Pain on a 0–10 NRS at rest and movement | Anchor (MIC) |
| Lee, 201744 | 165; 61 | Thai Chi or physical therapy (12 weeks) | PROMIS-Short Forms—physical function, pain interference, depression, anxiety | Anchor (MID) |
| Salottolo, 201845 | 27 (clinicians); NR | NR | Pain, Function and Global assessment | Consensus (MIC) |
| Alghadir, 201546 | 65; 54.9 (9.9) | NR | Timed Up and Go test | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Alghadir, 2016 a47 | 121; 52.9 (9.3) | NR (48 hours) | WOMAC-Arabic version-pain, function, total | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Alghadir, 2016 b48 | 121; 54.0 (9.3) | NR (48 hours) | NRS for pain-Arabic version | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Alghadir, 201749 | 97; 58 (11.5) | NR (1 week) | OKS-Arabic version | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Alghadir, 201850 | 121; 52.9 (12.5) | NR (24 hours) | VAS for pain; NRS for pain; Verbal Rating Scale for pain | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Suwit, 202051 | 55; 69.0 (11) | NR (1 week) | 30 s chair stand; 40 m fast-paced test; 9-step climb | Distribution (MDC90) |
| Baert, 201852 | 8 (12 knees); 68 (11) | NR (3 s) | Knee joint position sense test using analogue inclinometer; Knee force sense test using a handheld dynamometer | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Brisson, 201853 | 46; 61.0 (6.6) | NR (6 months, 24 months) | Peak KAM, KAM impulse and Peak KFM using 3D motion analysis; Quadriceps strength and power using dynamometer; Load frequency using a triaxial accelerometer; BMI | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Callghan, 200954 | 55; 64 (14) | NR (24–72 hours) | Quadriceps fatigue using surface electromyography | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Suhail and Chaudha, 202155 | 82; 60.4 (6.7) | NR (48 hours) | 2 min walk test | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Hoglund, 201956 | 20; 58.3 (8.05) | NR (2–7 days) | 30 s fast-paced walk test | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Ijima, 201957 | 59; 59.1 (6.1) | NR (1 month) | Stopwatch-based 11-sep stair climb test | Distribution (MDC90, MDC95) |
| Jansen, 202158 | 103; NR | NR (1 month) | Knee image: bone density, joint space width, osteophytes, eminence height and joint angle | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Kean, 201059 | 20; 53.6 (9.1) | NR (same day) | Quadriceps isokinetic strength, isometric strength and percent of voluntary activation using a dynamometer | Distribution (MDC90) |
| Klokker, 201560 | 20; 64 (6.6) | NR (1 week) | DAP | Distribution (MDC95) |
| McCarthy, 200861 | 55; 64.9 (9.7) | NR (1 week) | Maximum isometric strength; Vastus medialis oblique, Vastus lateralis, Rectus femoris-initial median frequency; Vastus medialis oblique, Vastus lateralis, Rectus femoris fatigue slope | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Monticone, 202162 | 102; 69.1 (9.0) | NR (10 days) | Fremantle Knee Awareness Questionnaire, Italian version | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Nalbant, 202163 | 25; 62.3 (9.8) | NR (same day) | L-test | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Naylor, 201464 | 75; 67.6 (9.4) | NR (10 days) | VAS for pain; 6 min Walk Test; Timed Up and Go test; KOOS-pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, quality of life | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Parveen, 201765 | 25; 50.5 (6.3) | NR (7 days) | Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment scale—total, balance subscale, gait subscale | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Peter, 201866 | 135; NR | NR (1 week) | Animated activity questionnaire | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Piva, 200467 | 25; 57 (8) | NR (same day) | Get up and Go test | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Srimurugan Pratheep, 201868 | 20; 70.3 (5.8) | NR (2 weeks) | Pressure pain threshold using algometer | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Takacs, 201469 | 20; 64.1 (7.9) | NR (14 days) | Single-leg standing balance test | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Tevald, 201670 | 25; 61 (9) | NR (7 days) | Hip abductor strength using a hand-held dynameter | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Tse, 202171 | 38; 65.1 (7.0) | NR (same day) | Frontal plane tibial alignment using inclinometer | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Turcot, 200872 | 25; 63.9 (7.6) | NR (8 days) | 3D linear accelerations of the tibia and femur during walking | Distribution (MDC95) |
| van der Straaten, 202073 | 19; 65.1 (5.2) | NR (20 days) | Range of motion (trunk abduction-adduction, pelvis abduction-adduction, hip flexion-extension) and Centre of mass displacement | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Yuruk, 201474 | 40; NR | NR (1 day) | De Motion Mobility Index (Turkish version) | Distribution (MDC90, MDC95) |
| Ravaud, 199975 | 30; 65.4 (7.7) | NR (2 weeks) | Joint space width | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Kanko, 201976 | 74; 57.7 (8.8) | Exercises (1 week) | Star excursion balance test | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Mutlu, 201577 | 73 (141 knees); 56.2 (6.7) | Physiotherapy (4 weeks) | Pressure pain threshold using a handheld pressure algometer | Distribution (MDC90) |
| Hunter, 200678 | 72; 58.9 (8.6) | Novel ther (6 months) | Cartilage volume using X-ray, MRI (Femur, Patella, Tibia) | Distribution (MDC95) |
| Motyl, 201379 | 15; 61.0 (7.8) | Steroid injection (20 days) | 20 m walk test | Distribution (MDC95) |
.3D, three-dimension; DAP, Dynamic weight-bearing Assessment of Pain; ICOAP, Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis Pain; KAM, knee adduction moment; KFM, knee flexion moment; KOOS, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score; KOOS-PS, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Physical Function Short form; KOS, Knee Outcome Survey; LEFS, Lower Extremity Functional Scale; MDC90, Minimum Detectable Change based on 90% CI; MDC95, minimum detectable change based on 95% CI; MIC, minimal important change; MID, minimal important difference; NR, not reported; NRS, Numeric Rating Scale; NSAID, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ; OKS, Oxford Knee Score; PROMIS, Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System; SF-36, 36-item Short Form health survey; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index.