ArticleCureus2023
Do Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis Work?
Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluating the longitudinal efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in rotator cuff surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Musculoskeletal surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of biological products in hip osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Clinical rheumatology · 2025Pooled it
- Platelet lysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis: a systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies.Musculoskeletal surgery · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection in Knee Osteoarthritis Stages 1-4: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Cureus · 2026Article
- Immune Cell Composition and Protein Biomarkers Correlate With PRP Treatment Outcomes in Knee Osteoarthritis.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- A Narrative Review on Intra-Articular Injection Therapies for Knee Osteoarthritis: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives.Orthopedic research and reviews · 2026Review
- Biomimetic Glycosaminoglycan-Enriched Electrospun Polymeric Scaffolds for Enhanced Early Tissue Regeneration.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2025Article
- Efficacy and Safety of Intra-Articular Therapy with Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Super-lubricous polyethylene glycol hydrogel microspheres for use in knee osteoarthritis treatments.npj biomedical innovations · 2025Article
- Systematic Review of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Medical and Surgical Specialties: Quality, Evaluation, Evidence, and Enforcement.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Assessment of the Quality and Readability of Information Provided by ChatGPT in Relation to the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy for Osteoarthritis.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecent evidence suggests a benefit in platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP) for the knee in the management of mild to moderate osteoarthritis (OA). There is a reported reduction in pain, stiffness, and improved function. However, there is very little level-one literature available that supports this practice and conclusively proves a benefit gained throughout the course. Three main randomized control trials (RCTs) conducted in North America are often referenced and cited to prove their efficacy. This study aimed to look at the outcomes of patients having undergone this treatment to determine if there was any benefit.
aimsThis study aimed to determine if PRP injections administered in patients with knee OA over a six to eight-week time period demonstrated any benefit.
methodsThe Western Ontario and McMaster Universities arthritis index (WOMAC) tool was used before each of the three PRP injections over the six to eight-week period, and six weeks after the final injection in 31 patients. Each injection was given spaced two to three weeks apart. The outcomes observed were pain, stiffness, and physical function, and the total WOMAC score was calculated.
resultsThe third injection showed a reduction in total WOMAC score, pain, stiffness, and physical function by 16.36%, 16.37%, 5.12%, and 18.03%, respectively. However, all scores returned close to baseline at the sixth-week follow-up post treatment.
conclusionResults showed a trend of reduction in the WOMAC score. However, they are overall indicative of a placebo effect from the injections. Further studies are needed to explore whether the grade of OA and patients' weight have a significant impact on the results.
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.