| No. of trials | No. of patients | Age, years | Gender, F/M | BMI, kg/m2 | Baseline pain, % | |
| Acupuncture | 4 | 623 | 63 (2.5) | 2.3 (0.6) | 29.4 (3.7) | 48.1 (4.6) |
| TENS | 4 | 92 | 75.8 (10.5) | 3.2 (3.6) | 29.2 | 48.9 (23.4) |
| Laser | 4 | 113 | 63.3 (2.5) | 3.1 (1.5) | 29.9 (0.5) | 34.9 (25.5) |
| Magnets | 9 | 263 | 64.2 (3.8) | 1.9 (1.0) | 28.4 (1.3) | 50.5 (10.9) |
| Insole | 2 | 96 | 63.8 (2.5) | 4.7 | 27.0 (2.1) | 46.6 (8.7) |
| Knee tape/sleeve | 1 | 26 | 62.7 | 3.3 | – | 74.5 |
| Spa | 1 | 29 | 55.0 | 13.5 | 33.8 | 68.2 |
| Vitamin, fish oil, milk etc | 5 | 164 | 58.2 (3.4) | 2.1 (1.7) | 28.9 (0.8) | 47.1 (21.3) |
| Herbals | 12 | 478 | 58.2 (5.6) | 2.6 (2.9) | 28.2 (2.1) | 54.4 (19.7) |
| Topical herbals | 3 | 175 | 61.6 (2.3) | 1.9 (0.7) | 30.5 | 56.3 (8.1) |
| Paracetamol (acetaminophen) | 5 | 786 | 64.3 (3.8 | 2.0 (1.2) | 28.0 (1.4) | 56.0 (14.1) |
| NSAIDs | 27 | 1957 | 60.5 (5.0) | 2.7 (2.0) | 28.7 (3.6) | 59.2 (15.6) |
| Coxibs | 30 | 4755 | 62.7 (4.1) | 2.6 (1.1) | 30.3 (1.7) | 61.0 (12.3) |
| Topical NSAIDs | 13 | 896 | 63.8 (2.4) | 2.2 (1.0) | 28.8 (2.4) | 53.5 (13.3) |
| Opioids | 12 | 1294 | 61.1 (3.2) | 2.1 (0.7) | 34.0 (1.0) | 62.3 (9.4) |
| Glucosamine | 11 | 1069 | 60.4 (5.3) | 2.1 (1.1) | 28.4 (3.3) | 40.3 (8.5) |
| Chondroitin | 7 | 442 | 62.5 (3.3) | 2.8 (1.6) | 27.8 (1.4) | 52.7 (12.1) |
| Avocado soybean unsaponifiable | 5 | 406 | 64.9 (1.4) | 2.5 (1.8) | 26.4 (1.4) | 54.0 (2.2) |
| Bisphosphonates | 2 | 622 | 61.9 (2.4) | 3.1 (2.5) | 30.0 (0.6) | 40.1 (5.2) |
| Diacerhein | 3 | 448 | 63.9 (1.6) | 2.1 (1.4) | 28.3 (3.9) | 60.2 (12.7) |
| IA hyaluronan | 15 | 937 | 63.5 (5.0) | 2.3 (2.1) | 28.7 (2.2) | 55.8 (14.7) |
| IM glycosaminoglycan peptide | 4 | 75 | 58.0 (3.1) | 5.7 (3.9) | 26.6 (0.6) | 45.3 (32.3) |
| IA glycosaminoglycan peptide | 4 | 122 | 59.5 (7.6) | 4.5 (1.4) | 27 | 60.7 (16.6) |
| IA steroids | 7 | 191 | 64.6 (2.3) | 2.1 (1.3) | 29.6 (0.6) | 58.9 (12.4) |
| Antidepressants | 1 | 154 | 60.0 | 2.2 | – | 63.0 |
| Debridement and/or lavage | 2 | 151 | 54.0 (2.8) | 1.2 (1.6) | – | 66 (9.2) |
| Total | 193 | 16364 | 62.0 (4.7) | 2.6 (1.9) | 29.0 (2.6) | 54.9 (15.2) |
Values are mean (SD) unless otherwise specified.
BMI, body mass index; coxibs, cyclo-oxygenase 2 inhibitors; F, female; IA, intra-articular; IM, intramuscular; M, male; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator.