Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40783528›Full record

SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2025

The effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain, function, and quadriceps muscle strength in adults with patellofemoral pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ahmed Ibrahim Abdelhamed, Hossam Mortada, Ahmed Hendawy, Amr Elfeky, Roshdy M Kamel, Shorouk Elshennawy

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
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.

Ahmed Ibrahim AbdelhamedFaculty of Physical Therapy, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October, Giza, Egypt.
Hossam MortadaBiomechanics Unit, Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Galala University, Suez, Egypt. Hossam.Mortada@gu.edu.eg.
Ahmed HendawyDepartment of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders and Surgeries, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Galala University, Suez, Egypt.
Amr ElfekyFaculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Roshdy M KamelPhysical Therapy Department, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Al- Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan.
Shorouk ElshennawyPediatric Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatellofemoral pain (PFP) is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder, with Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) often used as a complementary treatment option, however no definitive evidence supports its benefits. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of adding NMES to exercise programs for treating PFP.

methodsPubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, Scopus, PEDro, ClinicalTrails.gov and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched up to July 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of NMES in people with PFP. Two researchers independently screened titles and abstracts; another pair filtered full-text articles. The studies had to report pain, functionality, and strength as outcome measures. The risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane Collaboration tool (RoB 2.0). Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4.1 software, and the quality of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach.

resultsEleven RCTs, involving 571 participants, were included. Most of the studies were of high risk of bias. NMES combined with exercise was favored in the long course for improving function (SMD: 3.74, 95% CI 1.35, 5.81; P = 0.0004) and quadriceps muscle strength (SMD: 0.53, 95% CI 0.18, 0.89; P = 0.003) compared to exercise; however, it did not differ from exercise in relieving pain and improving EMG activity level, and participation. The GRADE certainty rating of the results was rated as very low mostly due to inconsistency and high risk of bias.

conclusionVery low certainty of evidence suggests that adding NMES to an exercise program may improve the knee joint function and quadriceps strength with treatment courses of six weeks or more in patients with PFP, but it is not superior to control for reliving pain and improving EMG activity, activity level, and participation. Larger, high-quality RCTs on the long-term are needed to reach an incisive conclusion. REGISTRATION: The protocol was registered at Open Science Framework Register under https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Y2JUZ .

Indexed as

Electric Stimulation TherapyMuscle StrengthPatellofemoral Pain SyndromeQuadriceps MuscleAdultExercise TherapyHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeNeuromuscular electrical stimulationPainPatellofemoral painQuadriceps muscle strength

Identifiers

PMID40783528
PMCPMC12335092

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.