A Scoping Review of Interventional Trials for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Adherence to the Core Outcome Set, SPIRIT-PRO, and CONSORT-PRO Guidelines

The aim of this scoping review is to assess whether randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) adhere to the CRPS Core Outcome Set (COS)[1] and whether they comply with international Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) reporting guidelines.[2,3] Although the CRPS COS[1] and PRO reporting guidelines[2,3] have been developed to enhance the consistency and quality of clinical trials it remains unclear to what extent they are being implemented in the CRPS research field. Inconsistent outcome measurement coupled with poor reporting quality makes it difficult to compare findings and draw broader conclusions.[4] This scoping review will systematically map the use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) against the COS,[1] alongside the reporting practices of CRPS trials, to identify methodological gaps and inform future trial design. Improved adherence to the CRPS COS[1] and PRO reporting guidelines[2,3] would improve the consistency and transparency of CRPS trial findings. This would reduce the barriers to meta-analysis and improve the accessibility and comparability of research findings for the benefit of patients and clinicians. This would improve patient care by informing best practice.