Content area
Full Text
Selection criteria for studies
Nine electronic databases were searched from inception to March 2012 to identify randomised controlled trials comparing exercise interventions either with each other or with no exercise control for adults with knee or hip osteoarthritis. Trial sequential analysis was used to investigate reliability and conclusiveness of available evidence for exercise interventions. We conducted Bayesian network meta-analysis to combine both direct (within trial) and indirect (between trial) evidence and investigate the relative effectiveness of different types of exercise intervention. Exercise interventions were classified as either land or water based and as predominantly aimed at increasing strength, flexibility, and/or aerobic capacity (endurance).
Primary outcomes
The main outcomes for analysis, expressed as standardised mean difference (SMD) were changes in pain intensity reported by...