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Chapter 12302assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) scale, first introduced in 2003 by Slim et al.(10) The items were scored 0 if not reported; 1 when reported but inadequately, and 2 when reported adequately.Risk of bias for an RCT was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool,(11) for which 6 different domains were evaluated: (1) random sequence generation (selection bias), (2) allocation concealment (selection bias), (3) blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias), (4) incomplete outcome data (attrition bias), (5) selective reporting (reporting bias), and (6) other bias. Blinding of participants and personnel was not included, as the nature of the study did not allow for participant blinding. The risk of bias was unclear if 1 or more of the 6 domains were indicated as unclear. A low risk of bias was determined if all domains showed a low risk. A high risk of bias was assessed if one or more domains were deemed to have a high risk of bias.Study Variables and Data CollectionAfter assessing the eligibility of all studies retrieved, the following data were extracted when available: author(s), year of publication, number of patients included, gender distribution, mean age of patients (in years), type of surgery, physiotherapy protocol, onset and end of physiotherapy, maximal mouth opening (MMO) in mm, laterotrusion in mm, pain measurement using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), quality-of-life (QoL) measurement, and the conclusion of the included study (Tables 2 and 3). The use of physiotherapy was considered the predictor variable and the MMO was the main outcome variable (Table 4). Laterotrusion and the VAS pain score, if provided, were considered the secondary outcome variables (Table 5), which were further analyzed to determine the effect of physiotherapy.Nikolas de Meurechy NW.indd 302 05-06-2024 10:15