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Background The dropout rate is an important determinant of outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and should be carefully controlled. This study explored the current dropout rate in studies of Korean medicine (KM) interventions by systematic evaluation of RCTs conducted in the past 10 years. Methods Three clinical trial registries (Clinical Research Information Service, ClinicalTrials.gov, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) were searched to identify RCT protocols for KM interventions, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, or cupping, and studies of mixed interventions, registered in Korea from 2009 to 2019. The PubMed, Embase, and OASIS databases were searched for the full reports of these RCTs, including published journal articles and theses. Dropout rates and the reasons for dropping out were analyzed in each report. The risk of bias in each of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The risk difference for dropping out between the treatment and control groups was calculated with the 95% confidence interval in a random effects model. Results Forty-nine published studies were included in the review. The median dropout rate was 10% in the treatment group (interquartile range 6.7%, 17.0%) and 14% in the control group (interquartile range 5.4%, 16.3%) and was highest in acupuncture studies (12%), followed by herbal medicine (10%), moxibustion (8%), and cupping (7%). Loss to follow-up was the most common reason for dropping out. The risk difference for dropping out between the intervention and control groups was estimated to be 0.01 (95% confidence interval − 0.02, 0.03) in KM intervention studies. Conclusions This review found no significant difference in the dropout rate between studies according to the type of KM intervention. We recommend allowance for a minimum dropout rate of 15% in future RCTs of KM interventions. Review protocol registration PROSPERO CRD42020141011

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) holds significance as a highly prevalent disorder in elderly populations. Various studies have been conducted on the association between alcohol consumption and OA, but the results have often been conflicting. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and OA in a large-scale sample representative of the Korean population. Methods Among the 25,534 participants surveyed in the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012), 7165 individuals aged ≥50 who responded to drinking-related items were analyzed. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) grade was calculated, and radiologic examination analysis included the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade of the lumbar spine, hip, and knee joints. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between AUDIT grades and OA through estimation of odds ratios (ORs). Results In crude analyses, OA (KL grade ≥ 2) of the lumbar spine and knee was more prevalent towards Zone I, but following adjustment, knee OA prevalence significantly increased in Zone III and IV compared to Zone I (Zone III: OR 1.464, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.027–2.088; Zone IV: OR 1.543, 95% CI 1.028–2.317, respectively). Meanwhile, adjusted hip and lumbar OA values showed positive associations towards Zone IV, but did not reach statistical significance. Additional analyses of the association between alcohol consumption and pain severity of knee OA patients were nonsignificant. Conclusions These results imply that radiological knee OA, rather than symptomatic knee OA, is associated with alcohol consumption.

Background Evidence for the add-on effect of kinesiotape (KT) with acupuncture for treating ankle sprains remains insufficient. We assessed the add-on effect of KT on ankle sprains by comparing acupuncture combined with KT (AcuKT) with acupuncture alone in patients with acute lateral ankle sprain (ALAS). Methods This study was a multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial that included a per-protocol analysis of the add-on effect of KT on ALAS. The randomization was software based and only the assessors were blinded. Sixty participants (20 each from three centers) with grade I or II ALAS were randomly assigned to acupuncture (n = 30) or AcuKT (n = 30) groups. Both groups received acupuncture treatment once daily, 5 days per week for 1 week. The AcuKT group received additional KT treatment. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain and the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) were obtained, and edema measurements were performed at baseline (week 0), at the end of the intervention (week 1), and at 4 weeks after intervention (week 5). The European Quality of Life Five Dimension-Five Level Scale (EQ-5D-5 L) measurements were conducted at week 0, week 1, week 5, and week 26 after the intervention. The number of recurrent ankle sprains was determined at 4, 8, 12 and 26 weeks after the intervention. Results Fifty-six patients with ALAS completed the trial (AcuKT group, n = 27; acupuncture group, n = 29). There were significant changes in visual analog scale score (AcuKT, P P P P P P Conclusions These results indicate that AcuKT did not show a positive add-on effect of KT with acupuncture in terms of pain reduction, edema, recovery of function, activities of daily living, quality of life or relapse of ALAS. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service (cris.nih.go.kr), KCT0002257. Registered on 27 February 2017.