The Efficacy of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy for Treating Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review| Biomed Grid

Objective: Past systematic reviews and meta-analysises of older studies of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy report positive effect sizes favoring treatment over control. This systematic review was conducted to include the most recent studies and evaluate the clinical significance of PEMF compared to control. Data sources: A systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane controlled trials Register. Methods: Level one and two trials reporting comparison of pulsed electromagnetic fields with placebo or other control were included. Mean differences were compared to the minimal clinically important differences (MCID) of functional and pain outcome scores. Results: Ten studies, including 495 patients, showed a VAS difference between groups of 11 points out of 100, and a WOMAC difference between groups of 9.7 points out of 100. Conclusion: PEMF is unlikely to make a clinically important difference in knee osteoarthritis pain and function compared to placebo and control groups