Table 5 Summary of evidence and grade evidence quality evaluation results of included studies (n = 13)

McKeon, et al. [18]

WOMAC

12 (1325)

NR

NR

NR

Low

KOOS

12 (363)

NR

NR

P < 0.001

Low

TUGT

5 (499)

NR

NR

P = 0.30

Low

Patient satisfaction

7 (1832)

NR

NR

NR

Low

Cost

4 (1275)

NR

NR

NR

Low

Pain

3 (281)

NR

NR

P > 0.05

Low

McDonnell et al. [19]

Patient satisfaction

4 (287)

0%

RR = 0.98(0.90–1.07)

P = 0.52

Moderate

Pain

4 (294)

25%

SMD = − 0.33(− 0.61, − 0.65)

P = 0.02

Moderate

WOMAC

3 (294)

0%

SMD = 0.12(− 0.11, 0.35)

P = 0.30

Low

TUGT

6 (397)

73%

SMD = 0.19(− 0.25, 0.63)

P = 0.40

CL

Jansson, et al. [20]

Joint flexion

3 (255)

NR

NR

P > 0.05

low

Joint extension

4 (315)

NR

SMD = − 0.06 (− 0.55–0.43)

P > 0.05

Low

TUGT

3 (267)

NR

NR

NR

Low

WOMAC

3 (449)

NR

NR

P < 0.05

Low

KOOS

3 (427)

NR

NR

P > 0.05

Low

Pain

5 (477)

NR

NR

P > 0.05

Low

Life quality

1 (400)

NR

NR

P < 0.05

Low

Adverse event

1 (225)

NR

NR

P < 0.05

Low

Cost

4 (467)

NR

MD = − 263 (382–143)

P < 0.001

Low

Liu, et al. [21]

WOMAC

4 (532)

90%

MD = − 0.32(− 2.30 ~ 1.65)

P = 0.75

CL

Joint flexion

4 (532)

86%

MD = 0.68 (− 2.28 ~ 3.63)

P = 0.65

CL

Pain

3 (236)

0%

MD = − 0.43 (− 0.85 ~ − 0.01)

P = 0.04

Moderate

KOOS

2 (234)

0%

MD = − 1.10 (− 1.63 ~ − 0.57)

P < 0.001

CL

TUGT

3 (248)

84%

MD = − 5.17 (− 9.79 ~ − 0.55)

P = 0.03

Low

Liu, et al. [21]

Joint extension

3 (512)

0%

MD = 0.30 (0.20 ~ 0.40)

P < 0.001

Moderate

Yoo, et al. [22]

Pain

2 (42)

5%

SMD = 1.05 (0.39–1.71)

P = 0.30

Low

Wang, et al. [23]

Pain

3 (409)

0%

MD = − 0.19(− 0.36, − 0.03)

P = 0.02

Moderate

TUGT

2 (207)

60%

MD = − 073(-11.18,-2.88)

P = 0.0009

CL

WOMAC

4 (746)

15%

MD: − 0.09 (− 0.22, 0.04)

P = 0.18

Low

Life quality

6 (681)

NR

NR

P = 0.05

Low

Tsang, et al. [24]

Joint extension

4 (699)

0%

SMD =  − 0.19 (− 0.34 ~  − 0.04)

P = 0.01

Low

Joint flexion

5 (886)

45%

SMD = 0.12(− 0.07–0.30)

P = 0.12

Low

Pain

7 (787)

74%

SMD = -0.15(− 0.47–0.16

P = 0.34

CL

WOMAC

8 (1219)

83%

SMD = 0.23(− 0.44 ~ 0.91)

P = 0.50

CL

Cost

2 (316)

NR

NR

p < 0.001

Low

KOOS

4 (804)

NR

NR

NR

Low

Adverse event

4 (1165)

NR

NR

P = 0.007

Low

Shukla, et al. [25]

Joint extension

3 (248)

0%

MD = − 0.52 (− 1.39, 0.35)

P = 0.24

Low

Joint flexion

3 (248)

0%

MD = − 0.52 (− 1.39, 0.35)

P = 0.24

CL

Pain

2 (302)

0%

MD = − 0.02 (− 0.46–0.41)

P = 0.91

CL

Life quality

1 (160)

NR

MD = 0.39 (0.46–7.34)

P = 0.03

CL

Jiang, et al. [26]

Pain

2 (161)

0%

MD = 0.52 (− 0.20–1.24)

P = 0.16

Low

WOMAC

2 (207)

0%

MD = 1.13 (0.23–2.02)

P = 0.014

Low

Joint flexion

2 (198)

0%

MD = 2.40 (− 0.34–5.15)

P = 0.09

Low

Joint extension

3 (396)

0%

MD = 0.30 (0.20–0.40)

P < 0.00001

Moderate

Gazendam, et al. [27]

Pain

3 (282)

84%

MD = − 3.30 (− 8.03,1.43)

P = 0.17

CL

WOMAC KOOS

4 (457)

73%

MD = − 3.32 (− 5.20 ~ − 1.45)

P = 0.08

Low

Cost

1 (306)

NR

NR

p < 0.001

CL

Peng L, et al. [28]

Pain

3 (360)

91%

SMD = − 0.44 (− 0.79 ~ − 0.08)

P = 0.02

Moderate

WOMAC

4 (257)

0%

SMD = − 0.71 (− 1.03 ~ − 0.40)

p < 0.01

Moderate

TUGT

2 (163)

77.9%

SMD = − 0.34 (− 1.31–0.63)

P = 0.03

Low

Life quality

2 (161)

NR

NR

NR

Low

Blasco J, et al. [29]

Pain

2 (192)

NR

NR

NR

Moderate

Patient satisfaction

3 (107)

NR

NR

NR

Low

Wang, et al. [30]

Pain

6 (794)

48%

SMD = − 0.11(− 0.32–0.10)

P = 0.30

Moderate

Joint flexion

4 (446)

0%

MD = 0.65(− 1.18, 2.48)

P = 0.48

Moderate

Joint extension

4 (446)

0%

MD = − 0.38(-1.16, 0.40)

P = 0.34

Moderate

Life quality

5 (652)

7%

SMD = − 0.09(− 0.26, 0.07)

P = 0.26

Moderate

Patient satisfaction

3 (512)

0%

SMD = 0.04(− 0.21–0.14)

P = 0.67

Moderate