The efficacy and safety of low-dose radiotherapy on pain and functioning in patients with osteoarthritis: a systematic review
Fulltext:
171729.pdf
Embargo:
until further notice
Size:
484.2Kb
Format:
PDF
Description:
Publisher’s version
Publication year
2016Source
Rheumatology International, 36, 1, (2016), pp. 133-42ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
Display more detailsDisplay less details
Organization
Radiation Oncology
Journal title
Rheumatology International
Volume
vol. 36
Issue
iss. 1
Page start
p. 133
Page end
p. 42
Subject
Radboudumc 14: Tumours of the digestive tract RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health SciencesAbstract
Low-dose radiotherapy (LD-RT) has been widely used for treatment of non-malignant disorders since its introduction and animal studies show anti-inflammatory effects in osteoarthritis (OA). However, the evidence for its effect in clinical practice remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to systematically summarise the literature on effectiveness of LD-RT on pain and functioning in patients with OA and its safety. Broad search terms were used to search PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Primary inclusion criteria were osteoarthritis as indication, radiotherapy as intervention, written in English, German or Dutch and published since 1980. Study quality was assessed using the EPHPP Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (scale: strong, moderate, weak). Seven studies were suitable for inclusion, all with retrospective uncontrolled observational design. Methodological quality of all studies was judged as weak. Most studies used 2-3 RT sessions per week for 2 weeks, some with booster session after 6 weeks. Generally, non-validated single-item measurement instruments were used to evaluate the effect of LD-RT on pain and function. Across the studies, in 25-90 and 29-71 % of the patients pain and functioning improved, respectively. Side effects were described in one study, none were reported. Our results show that there is insufficient evidence for efficacy or to confirm the safety of LD-RT in treatment of OA, due to absence of high-quality studies. Therefore, a well-designed, sham-controlled and blinded randomised trial, using validated outcome measures is warranted to demonstrate the value of LD-RT for OA in clinical practice.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Non RU Publications [16050]
Upload full text
Use your RU credentials (u/z-number and password) to log in with SURFconext to upload a file for processing by the repository team.