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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain
03:26

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain

Published on: March 8, 2024

Invasive Procedures for Most Musculoskeletal Conditions Are Not Better Than Placebo: A Systematic Review With

Mariane Nunes Pereira Dutra1, Murilo Schellin Canez1, Bruna Rodrigues Pereira1

  • 1Physical Therapy Department, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

Musculoskeletal Care
|July 3, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Most invasive procedures for musculoskeletal conditions offer no benefit over placebo. Further high-quality trials are essential to confirm these findings for common conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Rheumatology
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are a major global cause of disability.
  • Clinical guidelines favor non-pharmacological treatments, yet invasive procedures are common.
  • The efficacy of invasive procedures beyond placebo effects is often unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the comparative effectiveness of invasive procedures versus placebo controls in MSK conditions.
  • To assess outcomes such as pain, disability, function, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

  • Searched major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, etc.) for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to August 2024.
  • Included RCTs comparing invasive MSK procedures with sham or placebo interventions.
Keywords:
musculoskeletalplacebo effectplacebo surgerysystematic review

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain
03:26

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain

Published on: March 8, 2024

  • Utilized random-effects meta-analyses, assessed risk of bias (Cochrane RoB Tool), and certainty of evidence (GRADE).

    • Main Results:

    • Twenty-three RCTs involving 2412 participants were analyzed.
    • Eighteen studies (78%) found no superiority of invasive procedures over placebo; some placebo groups fared better.
    • Vertebroplasty, arthroscopic decompression, radiofrequency denervation, and intradiscal therapies showed no significant benefit over sham/placebo.

    Conclusions:

    • Invasive procedures are generally not superior to placebo for non-life-threatening MSK conditions.
    • Evidence suggests a need for more rigorous, placebo-controlled trials to guide clinical practice.