Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36183506›Full record

Trial reportClinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)2022

Comparative effects of fractional radiofrequency and microneedling on the genitalia of postmenopausal women: Histological and clinical changes.

Rafaella Rêgo Maia, Ayane Cristine Sarmento, Rodrigo Marcel Valentim da Silva, Eneida de Morais Carreiro, Stephany Luanna Queiroga Farias, Ciro Dantas Soares, Patrícia Froes Meyer, Ana Katherine Gonçalves

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Energies and new technologies in pelvic and pelvic floor dysfunctions.Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia · 2025
    Review
  3. 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

8 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Rafaella Rêgo MaiaHealth Sciences Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil.
Ayane Cristine SarmentoHealth Sciences Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil.
Rodrigo Marcel Valentim da SilvaPhysiotherapy Department, Centro Universitário do Rio Grande do Norte (UNI-RN), Natal, RN, Brazil; Physiotherapy Department, Universidade Estácio de Sá, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Eneida de Morais CarreiroPhysiotherapy Department, Centro Universitário do Rio Grande do Norte (UNI-RN), Natal, RN, Brazil.
Stephany Luanna Queiroga FariasPhysiotherapy Department, Universidade Potiguar (UnP), Natal, RN, Brazil.
Ciro Dantas SoaresTomatopathology Department, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Patrícia Froes MeyerPhysiotherapy Department, Centro Universitário do Rio Grande do Norte (UNI-RN), Natal, RN, Brazil.
Ana Katherine GonçalvesHealth Sciences Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil; Department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil. Electronic address: anakatherine_ufrnet@yahoo.com.br.
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte · BRCentro Universitário do Rio Grande do Norte · BREstácio (Brazil) · BRUniversidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) · BRUniversidade Potiguar · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe authors aimed to evaluate clinical and histological changes induced by Fractional Radiofrequency (FRF) and microneedling in vulvar tissue.

methodsThirty postmenopausal women were randomly divided into G1 (FRF) and G2 (microneedling) groups. Sub-ablative FRF was executed using disposable fractionated electrodes with an intensity of 8 mJ. Microneedling was performed using a derma roller system. The authors evaluated before and after treatment using the Vaginal Laxity Questionnaire (VLQ), EuroQol Five-Dimensional (EQ-5D) questionnaire, and the Blatt and Kupperman Menopausal Index (BKMI). Additionally, the authors performed biopsies of the labia majora for histological analysis pre- and post-treatment. Data were expressed as mean (± standard deviation). A paired t-test was used for intra-group comparison (pre- and post-treatment), with an independent t-test used to compare intergroup data (both pre- and post-treatment).

resultsIn the G1 group, the VLQ values showed differences compared to the pre-treatment values with the data obtained 60 days after the beginning of the sessions (p = 0.01). Similarly, the data changes of the G2 group proved to be significant (p = 0.001) across the same time interval. In comparing the groups, VLQ values were not different (p > 0.05). Regarding histological analysis, FRF demonstrated improvement concerning the number of fibroblasts, blood vessels, and fatty degeneration (p < 0.05) compared to the control. Additionally, FRF and microneedling samples showed higher type III collagen and vimentin expression in the immunohistochemical analysis (p < 0.05).

conclusionsThe therapies were found to be effective in treating the flaccidity of the female external genitalia. Additionally, histological changes were observed after interventions suggesting collagen remodeling.

Indexed as

Collagen Type IIIPostmenopauseFemaleHumansTreatment OutcomeVaginaVimentinCollagen Type IIIVimentinFlaccidityMenopauseMicroneedlingRadiofrequency

Identifiers

PMID36183506
PMCPMC9529663
OpenAlexW4300690638

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.