SynthesisMedicine2017
Platelet-rich plasma as a treatment for plantar fasciitis: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 3 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 77 citations in OpenAlex.
- Outcomes of platelet-rich plasma for plantar fasciopathy: a best-evidence synthesis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2020Pooled it
- Platelet-rich plasma for sports-related muscle, tendon and ligament injuries: an umbrella review.Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue · 2019Pooled it
- Clinical efficacy of low-level laser therapy in plantar fasciitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Effect of platelet-rich plasma versus steroid injection in plantar fasciitis: a randomized clinical trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Trial
- Effectiveness of physical therapy treatment in addition to usual podiatry management of plantar heel pain: a randomized clinical trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2019Trial
- Platelet-rich Plasma: ACurrent drug research reviews · 2026Review
- Review
- A Comparative Study of Platelet-Rich Plasma V/S Corticosteroid Injection for Plantar Fasciitis.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2025Article
- Article
- Contemporary Review: The Use of Adipocyte-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Pathologies of the Foot and Ankle.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2023Review
- Comparison of effects of low level laser therapy and local corticosteroid injection in the treatment of plantar fasciitis.Turkish journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation · 2023Article
- Article
- Comparison of Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment and Partial Plantar Fasciotomy Surgery in Patients with Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized, Prospective Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Muscle Quality Assessment by Ultrasound Imaging of the Intrinsic Foot Muscles in Individuals with and without Plantar Fasciitis: A Case-Control Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews on the Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Platelet Rich Plasma Injection for Soft Tissue Musculoskeletal Pain.Malaysian orthopaedic journal · 2021Article
- The 2020 NBA Orthobiologics Consensus Statement.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2021Article
- Platelet Concentrates in Musculoskeletal Medicine.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Review
- Effectiveness of a Double Air-Cushioned Shoe Compared with Physiotherapy in the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis.BioMed research international · 2020Article
- Is Platelet-rich Plasma Injection more Effective than Steroid Injection in the Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis in Achieving Long-term Relief?Malaysian orthopaedic journal · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecently, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used as an alternative therapy for plantar fasciitis (PF) to reduce heel pain and improve functional restoration. We evaluated the current evidence concerning the efficacy and safety of PRP as a treatment for PF compared with the efficacy and safety of steroid treatments.
methodsDatabases (PubMed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library) were searched from their establishment to January 30, 2017, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PRP with steroid injections as treatments for PF. The Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool was used to assess the methodological quality. Outcome measurements were the visual analogue scale (VAS), Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scale, and the Roles and Maudsley score (RMS). The statistical analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3.5 software.
resultsNine RCTs (n = 430) were included in this meta-analysis. Significant differences in the VAS were not observed between the 2 groups after 4 [weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -1.10 to 2.23, P = .51, I = 89%] or 12 weeks of treatment (WMD = -0.49, 95% CI: -1.42 to 0.44, P = .30, I = 89%). However, PRP exhibited better efficacy than the steroid treatment after 24 weeks (WMD = -0.95, 95% CI: -1.80 to -0.11, P = .03, I = 85%). Moreover, no significant differences in the FADI, AOFAS, and RMS were observed between the 2 therapies (P > .05).
conclusionLimited evidence supports the conclusion that PRP is superior to steroid treatments for long-term pain relief; however, significant differences were not observed between short and intermediate effects. Because of the small sample size and the limited number of high-quality RCTs, additional high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are required to validate this result.
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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.