Definitions and reporting of usual care in randomized trials for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A scoping review
Authors' conclusion
One in three knee OA trials using usual care as a comparator did not provide a clear, detailed definition of "usual care."
Study context
- Population
- RCTs in adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) comparing a non-surgical intervention to usual care (or similar terms)
- Participants
- 154 RCTs33 countries
- Outcome
- How usual care has been defined and reported in knee OA RCTs: terminology, components and adherence to reporting standards
Methodological detailssystematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL and ClinicalTrials.gov to May 2025, paired independent reviewers, TIDieR and Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) checklists
- Systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL and ClinicalTrials.gov to May 2025
- Paired independent reviewers
- TIDieR and CERT checklists
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- "Usual care" the most frequently used descriptor term
- 53.9%
- Trials providing detailed descriptions
- 68.2%
- Trials referencing external guidelines
- 22.7%
- TIDieR items addressed, on average
- just over half
- CERT checklist items addressed
- approximately two thirds
Original publication
Definitions and reporting of usual care in randomized trials for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A scoping review. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. Published 24 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →