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Table 2 GRADE assessment: supervised exercise compared to non-supervised exercise

From: Rehabilitation after lumbar spine surgery in adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Supervised exercise compared to non-supervised exercise for patients after surgery for lumbar disk herniation

Patient or population: patients after surgery for lumbar disk herniation

Setting: Hospital

Intervention: supervised exercise

Comparison: non-supervised exercise

Outcomes

№ of participants studies) Follow-up

Certainty of the evidence (GRADE)

Relative effect (95% CI)

Anticipated absolute effects

Risk with nonsupervised exercise

Risk difference with supervised exercise

Pain assessed with: Visual Analogue Scale (cm)

Scale from: 0 to 10 follow-up: mean 4 months

250 (5 RCTs)

Lowa,b

-

 

MD 1.14 lower (1.65 lower to 0.62 lower)

Disability follow-up: mean 4 months

175 (4 RCTs)

Lowb,c

-

-

SMD 0.7 SD Lower (1.14 lower to 0.26 lower)

Lumbar Mobility assessed with: Schober Test (cm) follow-up: mean 3 months

68 (2 RCTs)

Lowb,d

-

 

MD 0.27 lower (0.7 lower to 0.16 higher)

  1. CI confidence interval, MD mean difference, SMD standardised mean difference
  2. GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
  3. High certainty: we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect.
  4. Moderate certainty: we are moderately confident in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different.
  5. Low certainty: our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect.
  6. Very low certainty: we have very little confidence in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect.
  7. *The risk in the intervention group (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
  8. Explanations
  9. a3 of 5 studies are at high risk of bias
  10. bN<400
  11. c2 of 4 studies at high risk of bias
  12. d2 of 3 studies at high risk of bias