Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31008973›Full record

SynthesisMedicine2019

Platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of chronic Achilles tendinopathy: A meta-analysis.

Chun-Jie Liu, Kun-Lun Yu, Jiang-Bo Bai, De-Hu Tian, Guo-Li Liu

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
6.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Review
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  11. Review
  12. Achilles Tendinopathy Pathogenesis and Management: A Narrative Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Review
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Growth factors in the treatment of Achilles tendon injury.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2023
    Review
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Chun-Jie LiuDepartment of Orthopedics, Tangshan Workers Hospital, Tangshan City.
Kun-Lun YuDepartment of Hand Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
Jiang-Bo BaiDepartment of Hand Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
De-Hu TianDepartment of Hand Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
Guo-Li LiuDepartment of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Tangshan, Tangshan City Hebei Province, PR China.
Hebei Medical University · CNLiaoning Provincial People's Hospital · CNThird Hospital of Hebei Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) is used as an alternative therapy to reduce pain and improve functional restoration in patients with Achilles tendinopathy (AT). We evaluated the current evidence for the efficacy of PRP as a treatment for chronic AT.

methodsThe PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy of PRP with that of with placebo injections plus eccentric training as treatment for AT. The articles were uploaded over the establishment of the databases to May 01, 2018. The Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool was used to assess methodological quality. Outcome measurements included the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A), visual analog scale (VAS) and Achilles tendon thickness. Statistical analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3.5 software.

resultsFive RCTs (n = 189) were included in this meta-analysis. Significant differences in the VISA-A were not observed between the PRP and placebo groups after 12 weeks [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.2, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.36 to 0.76, I = 71%], 24 weeks (SMD = 0.77, 95% CI: -0.10-1.65, I = 85%) and 1 year (SMD = 0.83, 95% CI: -0.76-2.42, I = 72%) of treatment. However, PRP exhibited better efficacy than the placebo treatment after 6 weeks (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.15-0.77, I = 34%). Two studies included VAS scores and tendon thickness. VAS scores after 6 weeks (SMD = 1.35, 95% CI: -0.1.04-3.74, I = 93%) and 24 weeks (SMD = 1.48, 95% CI: -0.1.59-4.55, I = 95%) were not significantly different. However, VAS scores at the 12th week (SMD = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.53-1.68, I = 83%) and tendon thickness (SMD = 1.51, 95% CI: 0.39-2.63, I = 53%) were significantly different.

conclusionPRP injection around the Achilles tendon is an option for the treatment of chronic AT. Limited evidence supports the conclusion that PRP is not superior to placebo treatment. These results still require verification by a large number of well designed, heterogeneous RCT studies.

Indexed as

Achilles TendonPlatelet-Rich PlasmaChronic DiseaseHumansInjectionsTendinopathy

Identifiers

PMID31008973
PMCPMC6494278
OpenAlexW2939832405

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.