Overall Reporting Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

To evaluate the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials (RCT) of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis and explore factors associated with the reporting.

Eight databases were searched from inception to August 2024 to assess the quality of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis RCTs based on the CONSORT, the STRICTA, and the CONSORT-Outcomes. We performed regression analyses on pre-specified study characteristics to explore factors associated with reporting quality.

One hundred and seventy-four RCTs were evaluated by 69 items from 3 checklists. Seventeen of 37 items on the CONSORT were under-reported (reported in less than 20% of RCTs), and the weakest reported item was why the trial ended or was stopped (0%). Four of 17 items on the STRICTA were under-reported, and the weakest reported item was the number of needle insertions per subject per session (9.2%). Eight of 17 items on the CONSORT-Outcomes were under-reported, and the weakest reported item was identifying any outcomes that were not pre-specified in a trial registry or trial protocol (0.6%). RCT locations include countries other than China, published in English, or funded were more likely to have better reporting.

RCTs of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis need to focus more on reporting details of acupuncture interventions, the reporting of protocol amendment, and the complete reporting of outcome-related content. Journals should encourage authors to adhere strictly to reporting guidelines, which is necessary to improve the quality of reporting, which is very important for Chinese journals.