Trial reportMusculoskeletal science & practice2024
Optimising physiotherapy for people with lateral elbow tendinopathy - Results of a mixed-methods pilot and feasibility randomised controlled trial (OPTimisE).
Trial report in Musculoskeletal science & practice, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Manual therapy and exercise for lateral elbow pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Trial
- Sleep quality and nocturnal pain in patients with elbow disorders: a prospective multicenter study.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2026Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe OPTimisE intervention was developed to address uncertainty regarding the most effective physiotherapy treatment strategy for people with Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy (LET).
objectivesTo assess the feasibility of conducting a fully-powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating whether the OPTimisE intervention is superior to usual physiotherapy treatment for adults with LET.
designA mixed-methods multi-centred, parallel pilot and feasibility RCT, conducted in three outpatient physiotherapy departments in the UK.
methodPatients were independently randomised 1:1 in mixed blocks, stratified by site, to the OPTimisE intervention or usual care. Outcomes were assessed using pre-defined feasibility progression criteria.
results50 patients were randomised (22 Female, 28 Male), mean age 48 years (range 27-75). Consent rate was 71% (50/70), fidelity to intervention 89% (16/18), attendance rate in the OPTimisE group 82% (55/67) vs 85% (56/66) in usual care, outcome measure completion 81% (39/48) at six-month follow-up. There were no related adverse events. Patients and physiotherapists reported that the OPTimisE intervention was acceptable but suggested improvements to the trial design. 49 patients were recruited from physiotherapy referrals vs one from primary care records. Outcome measure return rates were higher when completed online (74%) compared to postal questionnaire (50%). Exploratory analysis showed improvements in both groups over time.
conclusionsIt is methodologically feasible to conduct a fully powered RCT comparing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the OPTimisE intervention versus usual physiotherapy treatment. Considering the similar improvements observed in both groups, careful consideration is needed regarding the priority research question to be addressed in future research.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.