Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effectiveness of the application of pulsed electromagnetic fields to knee joints with osteoarthritis were included in this review.
The intervention characteristics varied widely across trials; session duration ranged from six minutes to one hour, the number of sessions ranged from eight to 84, and the frequency of administration ranged from three times daily to three-to-five times per week. Control groups were treated with low frequency electromagnetic fields, sham treatment, or placebo. The primary outcomes were the Lequesne index, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index, reduction in overall pain measured on the Visual Analogue Scale, and other functional outcome measures, such as usual gait speed and stride length.
The authors did not state how many reviewers selected papers for the review.