Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31587091›Full record

Trial reportKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2020

Intra-articular injection of culture-expanded mesenchymal stem cells with or without addition of platelet-rich plasma is effective in decreasing pain and symptoms in knee osteoarthritis: a controlled, double-blind clinical trial.

Ricardo Bastos, Marcelo Mathias, Renato Andrade, Ronaldo J F C Amaral, Vinicius Schott, Alex Balduino, Raquel Bastos, J Miguel Oliveira, Rui L Reis, Scott Rodeo and 1 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 75 papers, 19 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
75citing papers in PubMed, 19 pooled it
12.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

75 citing papers in PubMed, 19 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 120 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Stem cell injections for osteoarthritis of the knee.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
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15 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

11 authors at 6 institutions in 5 countries.

Ricardo BastosClínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre - FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal.
Marcelo MathiasUniversidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Renato AndradeClínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre - FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal.
Ronaldo J F C AmaralKearney Lab, Department of Anatomy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Dublin 2, Ireland.
Vinicius SchottUniversidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Alex BalduinoExcellion, Nireói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Raquel BastosHospital Lusíadas, Porto, Portugal.
J Miguel Oliveira3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal.
Rui L Reis3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal.
Scott RodeoSports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
João Espregueira-MendesClínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre - FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal. espregueira@dhresearchcentre.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7429-4900
Universidade Federal Fluminense · BRUniversity of Minho · PTEspregueira Mendes Clinic · PTHospital for Special Surgery · USRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland · IEUniversidade do Porto · PT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo compare the clinical and laboratory outcomes of intra-articular injections of culture-expanded bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with or without platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to intra-articular corticosteroid injections for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

methodsForty-seven patients with radiographic and symptomatic knee OA were randomized into three groups for intra-articular injections: autologous bone marrow-derived culture-expanded MSCs (n = 16); autologous bone marrow-derived culture-expanded MSCs + PRP (n = 14); and corticosteroid (n = 17). The outcomes were assessed by the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and range of motion (ROM) at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and intra-articular cytokines analysis at baseline, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

resultsThe three groups showed significant improvement in most KOOS domains and global score at 1st month and all domains and global score at 12-month follow-up (p < 0.05). At the 1st month, only the MSCs group showed significant differences in KOOS symptoms domain (p = 0.003). The MSCs and MSCs + PRP groups showed the highest percentage of improvement in most KOOS domains and global score compared to the corticosteroid group. All three groups showed a significant reduction in intra-articular levels of human interleukin-10 cytokine, from baseline to 12 months (p < 0.05).

conclusionAn intra-articular injection of bone marrow-derived culture-expanded MSCs with or without the addiction of PRP is effective in improving the function and decreasing symptoms caused by knee OA at 12-month follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Indexed as

Injections, Intra-ArticularMesenchymal Stem CellsPlatelet-Rich PlasmaAdrenal Cortex HormonesAdultAgedCytokinesDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMesenchymal Stem Cell TransplantationMiddle AgedOsteoarthritis, KneePain ManagementPain MeasurementAdrenal Cortex HormonesCytokinesIntra-articular injectionMesenchymal stem cellsOsteoarthritisPlatelet-rich plasma

Identifiers

PMID31587091
OpenAlexW2977829144

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.