Abbott, 2013⁴⁷

9.75 months

Duration of diagnosis: 2.6 years

Fair

A. Manual therapy (n=54/30 knee OA): 7 sessions in 9 weeks with 2 additional booster sessions

B. Exercise (n=51/29 knee OA): 7 exercise sessions in 9 weeks with 2 additional booster sessions

C. Usual care (n=51/28 knee OA)

A vs. B vs. C (total population, includes hip OA)

Age: 67 vs. 67 vs. 66 years

Female: 49% vs. 52% vs. 58%

Percent knee OA: 56% vs. 57% vs. 55%

Percent hip OA: 44% vs. 43% vs. 45%

Percent both hip OA and knee OA: 22% vs. 20% vs. 26%

Baseline WOMAC (0-240): 114.8 vs. 95.5 vs. 93.8

A vs. C (knee OA only)

9.75 months

WOMAC mean change from baseline: −31.5 vs. 1.6, p=NR

A vs. B

9.75 months

WOMAC mean change from baseline: −31.5 vs. −12.7, p=NR

Perlman, 2012¹⁸⁴

4 months

Duration of pain: NR

Fair

A1. Massage Therapy Group 1 (MT) (n=25): standard Swedish massage strokes, and specified time allocated to various body regions (therapists agreed not to deviate from protocol); one, 30-minute session per week for 8 weeks (8 total sessions)

A2. MT Group 2 (n=25): Identical to group A1 except differing ‘dosage’ of massage; two, 30-min sessions per week for 4 weeks, then once weekly for 4 weeks (12 total sessions)

A3. MT Group 3 (n=25): Identical to group A1 except differing ‘dosage’ of massage; one, 60-min per week for 8 weeks (8 total sessions)

A4. MT Group 4 (n=25): Identical to group A1 except differing ‘dosage’ of massage; two, 60-min sessions per week for 4 weeks, then once weekly for 4 weeks (12 total sessions)

B. Usual Care (n=25): Continued current treatment without the addition of massage therapy.

A1 vs. A2 vs. A3 vs. A4 vs. B

Age: 70 vs. 62 vs. 63 vs. 64 vs. 64

Female: 60% vs. 72% vs. 76% vs. 68% vs. 76%

Race: 92% vs. 88% vs. 76% vs. 80% vs. 88% white

Baseline WOMAC Total (0-100): 52.9 vs. 50.2 vs. 53.6 vs. 48.0 vs. 53.2

Baseline WOMAC Physical Function (0-100): 52.9 vs. 49.5 vs. 49.8 vs. 48.3 vs. 50.5

Baseline WOMAC Pain (0-100): 52.3 vs. 42.4 vs. 52.5 vs. 44.4 vs. 46.3

Baseline VAS Pain (0-100): 61.2 vs. 64.0 vs. 66.4 vs. 59.2 vs. 57.6

A1 vs. A2 vs. A3 vs. A4 vs. B

4 months:

WOMAC Total, mean change from baseline (95% CI): −14.3 (−22.9 to −5.7) vs. −7.0 (−15.6 to 1.6) vs. −14.2 (−23.4 to −5.0) vs. −15.1 (−25.1 to −5.1) vs. −6.0 (−12.6 to 0.5)

WOMAC Physical Function, mean change from baseline (95% CI): −15.3 (−24.5 to 26.1) vs. −7.4 (−14.8 to 0) vs. −12.1 (−22.0 to −2.1) vs. −14.4 (−23.4 to −5.4) vs. −4.2 (−11.1 to 2.7)

WOMAC Pain, mean change from baseline (95% CI): −12.2 (−22.4 to −2.0) vs. −3.9 (−12.7 to 4.9) vs. −13.7 (−23.4 to −4.0) vs. −14.2 (−24.5 to −3.8) vs. −7.5 (−16.0 to 1.1)

VAS Pain, mean change from baseline (95% CI): −14.4 (−25.9, −2.8) vs. −14.0 (−24.7 to −3.3) vs. −18.5 (−29.0 to −8.1) vs. −22.8 (−35.5 to −10.1) vs. −11.5 (−21.0 to −2.0)

A1 vs. A2 vs. A3 vs. A4 vs. B

4 months:

WOMAC Stiffness (0-100), mean change from baseline (95% CI): −15.4 (−26.4 to −4.5) vs. −9.6 (−20.6 to 1.3) vs. −16.9 (−28.5 to −5.2) vs. −16.8 (−29.7 to −3.9) vs. −6.4 (−13.2 to 0.4)