| Comparisons and trials | Risk of bias | GRADE assessment and outcomes/measures (walking ability, pain, function, and quality of life) at each follow‐up point |
| Consistency | Directness | Precision | Selective reporting | Immediate | Short‐term | Intermediate | Long‐term | Quality of the evidence |
| Calcitonin |
| Calcitonin injection versus placebo injection |
| Eskola 1992 | High High | No No | Yes Yes | No No | Yes Yes | | = TWT = VAS | = TWT = VAS | = TWT = VAS | +000 +000 |
| Porter 1983 | High | No | Yes | No | Yes | | ? distance walked | ? distance walked | | +000 |
| Porter 1988 | High High | No No | Yes Yes | No No | Yes Yes | | = distance walked = VAS | | | +000 +000 |
| Calcitonin nasal spray versus placebo nasal spray |
| Podichetty 2004 | High High High High | No No No No | Yes
Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | Yes | | = distance walked = time walked = SF‐36 = VAS | | | +000 +000 +000 +000 |
| Tafazal 2007 | High High High High High | No No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No No | | | = Shuttle walk = VAS leg = VAS back = ODI = global | | | +000 +000 +000 +000 +000 |
| Calcitonin nasal spray plus physical therapy versus paracetamol plus physical therapy |
| Sahin 2009 | High High High | No No No | Yes Yes Yes | No No No | | | = distance walked = VAS = RMDI | | | +000 +000 +000 |
| Oral medication |
| Oral prostaglandin versus etodolac (NSAID) |
| Matsudaira 2009 | Low Low Low Low Low | No No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No No | Yes | | > distance walked ? SF‐36 = LBP > Leg pain > global | | | ++00 +000 ++00 ++00 ++00 |
| Methylocobalamin (vitamin B12) plus conservative care versus conservative care |
| Waikakul 2000 | High | No | Yes | No | Yes | | | > distance walked | > distance walked | +000 |
| Gabapentin versus placebo |
| Yaski 2007 | High High High | No No No | Yes Yes Yes | No No No | | | | > distance walked = VAS (1‐2 months) > VAS (3 months) | > distance walked > VAS | +000 +000 +000 |
| Physical therapy |
| Exercise plus ultrasound versus exercise plus sham ultrasound |
| Goren 2010 | Low Low Low Low | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | | | = TWT = VAS back = VAS leg = ODI | | | ++00 ++00 ++00 ++00 |
| Exercise plus ultrasound versus no treatment |
| Goren 2010 | Low Low Low Low | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | | | = TWT = VAS back > VAS leg > ODI | | | ++00 ++00 ++00 ++00 |
| Exercise plus sham ultrasound versus no treatment |
| Goren 2010 | Low Low Low Low | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | | | = TWT = VAS back > VAS leg > ODI | | | ++00 ++00 ++00 ++00 |
| Inpatient physical therapy versus home exercise program plus oral diclofenac |
| Koc 2009 | High High High High | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | Yes | | = TWT > VAS > RMDI > NHP | = TWT = VAS = RMDI = NHP | | +000 +000 +000 +000 |
| Unweighted treadmill walking plus exercise versus cycling plus exercise |
| Pua 2007 | Low Low Low Low Low | No No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No No | | | = distance walked = ODI = RMDI = VAS = global | | | ++00 ++00 ++00 ++00 ++00 |
| Manual therapy, exercise and unweighted treadmill versus flexion exercise, walking and sham ultrasound |
| Whitman 2006 | High High High High | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | | | = TWT > global = ODI = NPRS | | = global | +000 +000 +000 +000 |
| Epidural injection |
| Translaminar epidural steroid injections versus placebo injections |
| Cuckler 1985 | High | No | Yes | No | | = global | | | =global | +000 |
| Translaminar epidural steroids plus epidural block versus placebo injections |
| Fukusaki 1988 | High | No | Yes | No | | > distance walked | = distance walked | | | +000 |
| Translaminar epidural steroids plus epidural block versus epidural block injections |
| Fukusaki 1988 | High | No | Yes | No | | = distance walked | = distance walked | | | +000 |
| Translaminar epidural block versus placebo |
| Fukusaki 1988 | High | No | Yes | No | | > distance walked | = distance walked | | | +000 |
| Intralaminar epidural steroid plus epidural block versus home exercise program plus oral diclofenac |
| Koc 2009 | High High High High | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | | = TWT > VAS > RMDI > NHP | = TWT = VAS = RMDI = HNP | | +000 +000 +000 +000 |
| Intralaminar epidural steroid plus epidural block versus inpatient physical therapy |
| Koc 2009 | High High High High | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes | | = TWT > VAS > RMDI > NHP | = TWT = VAS = RMDI = HNP | | +000 +000 +000 +000 |
| Caudal epidural steroids versus placebo injections |
| Zahaar 1991 | High | No | Yes | No | | = global | | | = global | +000 |
| Multimodal nonoperative treatment |
| Indirect decompression using interspinous spacer (X‐Stop) versus multimodal nonoperative care for degenerative spondylolisthesis |
| Zucherman 2004, Anderson 2006 | High | No | Yes | No | SR (short & intermediate) | | > ZCQ | > ZCQ | > ZCQ | +000 |
| Indirect decompression using interspinous spacer (X_Stop) versus multimodal nonoperative care |
| Zucherman 2004, 2005, Hsu 2006 | High | No No | Yes Yes | No No | SR SR | | > ZCQ > SF‐36 | > ZCQ > SF‐36 | > ZCQ > SF‐36 | +000 +000 |
| Direct decompression ± fusion versus multimodal nonoperative care for degenerative spondylolisthesis |
| Weinstein 2007 | High High High High High | No No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No No | | | = SF‐36 = ODI = LBPBS = LPBI = SBS | = SF‐36 = ODI = LBPBS = LPBI = SBS | = SF‐36 = ODI = LBPBS = LPBI = SBS | +000 +000 +000 +000 +000 |
| Direct decompression ± fusion versus multimodal nonoperative care |
| Amundsen 2000 | High High | No No | Yes Yes | No No | | | ?* pain severity | ?* global | ?* pain severity ? global | +000 +000 |
| Malmivaara 2007 | Low Low Low Low Low Low | No No No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No No No | | | | = TWT = SW > VAS leg walk > VAS leg > VAS LB ODI (see Figure 4) | = TWT = SW > VAS leg walk > VAS leg > VAS LB ODI (see Figure 4) | ++00 ++00 ++00 ++00 ++00 +000 |
| Weinstein 2008 | High High High High High High | No No No No No No | Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No No No No No No | | | = SF‐36 BP = SF‐36 PF = LBPBS = LPBI = SBS = ODI | = SF‐36 BP = SF‐36 PF = LBPBS = LPBI = SBS ODI (see Figure 4) | > SF‐36 BP** = SF‐36 PF = LBPBS = LPBI = SBS ODI (Figure 4) | +000 +000 +000 +000 +000 +000 |
