Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36443838›Full record

SynthesisArthritis research & therapy2022

Intra-articular injection choice for osteoarthritis: making sense of cell source-an updated systematic review and dual network meta-analysis.

Yijian Zhang, Huilin Yang, Fan He, Xuesong Zhu

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Arthritis research & therapy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
5.4field-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.

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

24 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 35 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Stem cell injections for osteoarthritis of the knee.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Emerging Therapy in Osteoarthritis: Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Secretomes, and Using Hydrogels to Enhance Efficacy.BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy · 2025
    Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Osteoarthritis.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025
    Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review
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

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yijian ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, No. 899 Pinghai Road, Suzhou, 215006, China.
Huilin YangDepartment of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, No. 899 Pinghai Road, Suzhou, 215006, China. suzhouspine@163.com.
Fan HeOrthopaedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, No. 708 Renmin Road, Suzhou, 215007, China. fanhe@suda.edu.cn.
Xuesong ZhuDepartment of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, No. 899 Pinghai Road, Suzhou, 215006, China. zhuxs@suda.edu.cn.
Soochow University · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIntra-articular injection is indicated for mild or moderate osteoarthritis (OA). However, the superiority of cell-based injection and the role of diverse cell sources are still unclear. This study aimed to compare the therapeutic effect of intra-articular injection with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cell-free methods for OA treatment.

methodsA literature search of published scientific data was carried out from PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) compared the efficacy and safety of MSC and cell-free intra-articular injection treatments for OA with at least 6-month follow-up.

resultsDual network meta-analysis validated the therapeutic advantages of MSC treatments (VAS, Bayesian: 90% versus 10% and SUCRA: 94.9% versus 5.1%; WOMAC total, Bayesian: 83% versus 17% and SUCRA: 90.1% versus 9.9%) but also suggested a potential negative safety induced by cell injection (adverse events, Bayesian: 100% versus 0% and SUCRA: 98.2% versus 1.8%). For the MSC source aspect, adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UBMSCs) showed a better curative effect on pain relief and function improvement compared with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs).

conclusionIntra-articular injection of MSCs is associated with more effective pain alleviation and function improvement than cell-free OA treatment. However, the potential complications induced by MSCs should be emphasized. A comparative analysis of the MSC sources showed that ADMSCs and UBMSCs exerted a better anti-arthritic efficacy than BMMSCs. Schematic illustration of MSC-based intra-articular injection for treating OA. Three major MSCs (UBMSCs, ADMSCs, and BMMSCs) are extracted and expanded in vitro. Subsequently, the amplified MSCs are concentrated and injected into the knee joint to treat OA.

Indexed as

Mesenchymal Stem CellsOsteoarthritisHumansInjections, Intra-ArticularPainAdverse effectsFunction improvementIntra-articular injectionMesenchymal stem cellsOsteoarthritisPain relief

Identifiers

PMID36443838
PMCPMC9703652
OpenAlexW4310117604

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.