Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38402668›Full record

SynthesisBrazilian journal of physical therapy

Effectiveness of non-invasive therapies on pain, maximum grip strength, disability, and quality of life for lateral elbow tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mariana G M Campos, Laísa B Maia, Rodrigo O Mascarenhas, Bianca M Lourenço, Nicholas Henschke, Vinicius C Oliveira

Open access · greenAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Mariana G M CamposPostgraduate Program in Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
Laísa B MaiaPostgraduate Program in Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
Rodrigo O MascarenhasPostgraduate Program in Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
Bianca M LourençoPostgraduate Program in Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil.
Nicholas HenschkeInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Vinicius C OliveiraPostgraduate Program in Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: vcunhaoliveira@gmail.com.
Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri · BRThe University of Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLateral elbow tendinopathy is a common musculoskeletal disorder. Effectiveness of non-invasive therapies for this health condition are unclear.

objectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of non-invasive therapies on pain, maximum grip strength, disability, and quality of life for lateral elbow tendinopathy.

methodsSearches were conducted on MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, PEDro, Cochrane Library, SPORTDiscus and PsycINFO without language or date restrictions up to May 3rd, 2023. Randomized trials investigating the effectiveness of any non-invasive therapy compared with control or other invasive interventions were included. Two independent reviewers screened eligible trials, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included trials and certainty of the evidence.

resultsTwenty-two different therapies investigated in 47 randomized trials were included in the quantitative analysis. Moderate certainty evidence showed that betamethasone valerate medicated plaster may reduce disability (mean difference -6.7; 95% CI -11.4, -2.0) in the short-term when compared with placebo. Low certainty evidence showed that acupuncture may reduce disability (MD -9.1; 95% CI -11.7, -6.4) in the short-term when compared with sham. Moderate to very low certainty of evidence also showed small to no effect of non-invasive therapies on pain intensity, maximum grip strength, and disability outcomes in the short-term compared to control or invasive interventions. Most therapies had only very low certainty of evidence to support their use.

conclusionsDecision-making processes for lateral elbow tendinopathy should be carefully evaluated, taking into consideration that most investigated interventions have very low certainty of evidence. There is an urgent call for larger high-quality trials.

Indexed as

Hand StrengthQuality of LifeHumansPainTendinopathyElbowMeta-analysisTendinopathyTennis elbow

Identifiers

PMID38402668
PMCPMC10904251
OpenAlexW4392059731

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.