Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33348947›Full record

ArticleAnesthesia and pain medicine2021

Prolotherapy for the patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Geonhyeong Bae, Suyeon Kim, Sangseok Lee, Woo Yong Lee, Yunhee Lim

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Anesthesia and pain medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 27 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
5.9field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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.

NCT06617065 naactive not recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

A Prospective, Open-label Self-controlled Trial to Assess Long-term Changes in Pain and Function with Addition of 5% Dextrose to Local Anesthetic Solutions - the PALPADE Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Seekers CentreRan2024 to 2025Enrolled70ConditionsChronic Non-cancer PainArmsAddition of 1 mL of 50% dextrose solution to the usual local anesthetic solution of choice for each patient.
NCT07381621 recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

A Prospective Evaluation of the Clinical Effectiveness of Perineural Dextrose and Conventional Local Anesthetic Injections in Patients With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorAnkara Training and Research HospitalRan2026 to 2026Enrolled86ConditionsKnee OsteoarthritisArmsPerineural 5% Dextrose Injection, Perineural Local Anesthetic Injection
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.

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  16. Prolotherapy for temporomandibular joint disorders: an updated comprehensive review.Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons · 2025
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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 1 institution in 1 country.

Geonhyeong BaeDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Suyeon KimDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Sangseok LeeDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Woo Yong LeeDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Yunhee LimDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital · KR

Funding

Inje University
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProlotherapy, which stimulates the healing of loosened ligaments and tendons, is a cost-effective and safe treatment modality for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Its benefits may be affected by injection protocols, comparative regimens, and evaluation scales. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of dextrose prolotherapy as a long-term treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

methodsMedline, Embase, Cochrane Central, KoreaMed, and KMbase databases were searched for studies published up to March 2019. We included randomized controlled trials which compared the effect of dextrose prolotherapy with that of other therapies such as exercise, saline, platelet-rich plasma, and steroid injection. The primary outcome was pain score change during daily life.

resultsTen studies involving 750 participants were included in the final analysis. Pain scores from 6 months to 1 year after dextrose prolotherapy were significantly reduced compared to saline injection (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.76 to -0.11, P = 0.008) and exercise (SMD -0.42; 95% CI -0.77 to -0.07, P = 0.02). Prolotherapy yielded results similar to platelet-rich plasma or steroid injection, that it showed no significant difference in pain score.

conclusionsDextrose prolotherapy is more effective in the treatment of chronic pain compared to saline injection or exercise. Its effect was comparable to that of platelet-rich plasma or steroid injection. Adequately powered, homogeneous, and longer-term trials are needed to better elucidate the efficacy of prolotherapy.

Indexed as

Musculoskeletal painPlatelet-rich plasmaProlotherapySteroids

Identifiers

PMID33348947
PMCPMC7861898
OpenAlexW3112673462

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

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.