SynthesisScientific reports2016
Hypertonic dextrose injections (prolotherapy) in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Scientific reports, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Changes in Cytokines After Masked Intraarticular Injection of Dextrose or Aspiration Only in Stage IV Knee Osteoarthritis
Intravesical Injection of Dextrose to Improve Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Caused by Chronic Cystitis
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Meta-analysis of clinical trials focusing on hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy (HDP) for knee osteoarthritis.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2022Pooled it
- Proliferative injection therapy for osteoarthritis: a systematic review.International orthopaedics · 2017Pooled it
- Efficacy of Intra-Articular Hypertonic Dextrose (Prolotherapy) for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Annals of family medicine · 2020Trial
- Ultrasound-Guided Posteromedial Fascial-Periarticular Injection for Mild-to-Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis: Twelve-Month WOMAC Outcomes in a Retrospective Pilot Case Series.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Red blood cell distribution width to albumin ratio is associated with osteoarthritis prevalence among US adults with diabetes using data from NHANES 2005 to 2018.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Rapid Decrease in Dextrose Concentration After Intra-Articular Knee Injection: Implications for Mechanism of Action of Dextrose Prolotherapy.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- A Review of Current Approaches to Pain Management in Knee Osteoarthritis with a Focus on Italian Clinical Landscape.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Nonoperative Management of Trapeziometacarpal Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Trials.Cureus · 2024Review
- Skin boosters: Definitions and varied classifications.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Review
- Current and Novel Therapeutics for Articular Cartilage Repair and Regeneration.Therapeutics and clinical risk management · 2023Review
- Article
- A comprehensive review of intraarticular knee injection therapy, geniculate injections, and peripheral nerve stimulation for knee pain in clinical practice.Orthopedic reviews · 2022Article
- A Comprehensive Update of Prolotherapy in the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee.Orthopedic reviews · 2022Article
- Hypertonic Dextrose Stimulates Chondrogenic Cells to Deposit Collagen and Proliferate.Cartilage · 2021Article
- Articular cartilage repair & joint preservation: A review of the current status of biological approach.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2021Article
- Dextrose prolotherapy in knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2021Review
- Prolotherapy for the patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: systematic review and meta-analysis.Anesthesia and pain medicine · 2021Article
- A Novel Intravesical Dextrose Injection Improves Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms on Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Article
- Prolotherapy agent P2G is associated with upregulation of fibroblast growth factor-2 genetic expression in vitro.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2020Article
- PAST, CURRENT AND FUTURE INTERVENTIONAL ORTHOBIOLOGICS TECHNIQUES AND HOW THEY RELATE TO REGENERATIVE REHABILITATION: A CLINICAL COMMENTARY.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Hypertonic dextrose injections (prolotherapy) is an emerging treatment for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) but its efficacy is uncertain. We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to synthesize clinical evidence on the effect of prolotherapy for knee OA. Fifteen electronic databases were searched from their inception to September 2015. The primary outcome of interest was score change on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of moderate risk of bias and one quasi-randomized trial were included, with data from a total of 258 patients. In the meta-analysis of two eligible studies, prolotherapy is superior to exercise alone by a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.18 to 1.45, p = 0.012), 0.78 (95% CI: 0.25 to 1.30, p = 0.001) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.04 to 1.20, p = 0.035) on the WOMAC composite scale; and WOMAC function and pain subscale scores respectively. Moderate heterogeneity exists in all cases. Overall, prolotherapy conferred a positive and significant beneficial effect in the treatment of knee OA. Adequately powered, longer-term trials with uniform end points are needed to better elucidate the efficacy of prolotherapy.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.