SynthesisMedicine2019
Platelet-rich plasma vs corticosteroids for elbow epicondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 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
33 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- Autologous blood and platelet-rich plasma injection therapy for lateral elbow pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Do we need to improve the reporting of evidence in tendinopathy management? A critical appraisal of systematic reviews with recommendations on strength of evidence assessment.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2021Pooled it
- Clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials.Clinical rheumatology · 2020Pooled it
- Molecular background behind lateral elbow pain reduction with Leukocyte-Rich and Leukocyte-Poor Platelet-Rich Plasma-randomized control trial and single-cell platelet analysis.International orthopaedics · 2026Trial
- Effect of platelet-rich plasma versus steroid injection in plantar fasciitis: a randomized clinical trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Trial
- Proprioceptive elbow training reduces pain and improves function in painful lateral epicondylitis-a prospective trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2021Trial
- Ultrasound-guided injection strategies for lateral epicondylitis: a multicenter randomized comparison of corticosteroid, platelet-rich plasma, and ozone.Future science OA · 2026Article
- Evidence for a time-dependent pain response to platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injection in lateral epicondylitis: a cluster-stratified systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Review
- Comparative clinical outcomes of monotherapy and combined conservative treatment strategies in lateral epicondylitis: a retrospective cohort study of 420 patients.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2026Article
- Epidural Platelet-Rich Plasma Long-Term Outcome Is Better Than Steroid for Prolapsed Lumbar Intervertebral Discs: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Spine surgery and related research · 2026Review
- Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections are Associated with Higher Resource Utilization and Surgical Escalation Compared with Corticosteroids in Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy.Journal of orthopaedic case reports · 2025Article
- Considerations in modern regenerative medicine for osteoarthritis.EFORT open reviews · 2025Article
- Review
- Platelet like cells differentiated from human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells promote healing of tendinopathy in rats.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Platelet rich plasma versus corticosteroids for lateral epicondylitis: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Clinics in shoulder and elbow · 2025Article
- Physical therapy intervention versus corticosteroid injection for lateral elbow tendinopathy. Does slow and steady win the race? - A systematic review.Shoulder & elbow · 2024Review
- Platelet-Rich Plasma for Degenerative Spine Disease: A Brief Overview.Spine surgery and related research · 2024Review
- Biotherapeutic Applications of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Regenerative Medicine.Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine · 2023Review
- Platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid: a randomized controlled trial on tennis elbow patients resistant to nonsurgical treatments.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2023Article
- Nonoperative Management of Lateral Epicondyle Tendinopathy: An Umbrella Review.Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2023Review
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 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) vs corticosteroids for treatment of patients with lateral elbow epicondylitis.
methodsA literature search was performed in EMBASE, Medline, the Cochrane Library and PubMed. Randomized controlled studies comparing PRP with corticosteroids for the treatment of epicondylitis were included. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included trials. The Cochrane Collaboration's Review Manager software was used to perform the meta-analyses. The overall effect size of each anesthetic was calculated as the weighted average of the inverse variance of the study-specific estimates.
resultsSeven randomized controlled trials were included in this review. The data from 2 studies were unavailable for meta-analysis, and the systematic review criteria were just achieved. Local corticosteroid injection yielded a significantly superior Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score at 4 weeks (WMD, 11.90; 95% CI: 7.72 to 16.08; P < .00001; heterogeneity, χ = 0, I = 0%, P = 1.00) and 8 weeks (WMD, 6.29; 95% CI: 2.98 to 9.60; P = .0002, χ = 0, I = 0%, P = 1.00). Otherwise, it was noteworthy that a significantly lower VAS score (WMD, -2.61; 95% CI: -5.18 to -0.04; P = .05; heterogeneity, χ = 29.85, I = 97%, P < .00001) and DASH score (WMD, -7.73; 95% CI: -9.99 to -5.46; P < .00001, χ = 0.20, I = 0%, P = .66) existed in the PRP regimen than in the steroid regimen at the 24-week follow-up. More effective treatments were achieved in the PRP-treated patients than in the patients treated with corticosteroids (WMD, 3.33; 95% CI: 1.81 to 6.14; P = .000; heterogeneity, χ = 0.43, I = 0%, P = .51).
conclusionsLocal corticosteroid injections demonstrated favorable outcomes compared with those of local PRP treatments for lateral elbow epicondylitis during the short-term follow-up period (4 weeks and 8 weeks post-treatment). Otherwise, at the long-term follow-up (24 weeks post-treatment), PRP injections had improved pain and function more effectively than corticosteroid injections.
Indexed as
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.