Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39821506›Full record

ArticlePain and therapy2025

A Long-Term Retrospective Observational Clinical Study Evaluating the Efficacy of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) in the Treatment of Back Pain.

Eduardo Anitua, Isidro Milani, Àlex Martínez, Freddy Cabello, Roberto Prado, Sabino Padilla, Luis Sanado

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pain and therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. 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

7 authors.

Eduardo AnituaEduardo Anitua Foundation for Biomedical Research, Vitoria, Spain. eduardo@fundacioneduardoanitua.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8386-5303
Isidro MilaniClínica Eduardo Anitua, Vitoria, Spain.
Àlex MartínezClínica Eduardo Anitua, Vitoria, Spain.
Freddy CabelloClínica Eduardo Anitua, Vitoria, Spain.
Roberto PradoEduardo Anitua Foundation for Biomedical Research, Vitoria, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4767-7206
Sabino PadillaEduardo Anitua Foundation for Biomedical Research, Vitoria, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9672-2881
Luis SanadoHospital Quirónsalud Vitoria, Vitoria, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChronic back pain is a long-lasting disorder that is significantly associated with a reduction in the quality of life. Previously, the efficacy of intradiscal and epidural injections of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) was demonstrated at 6 months. The objective of this study was to retrospectively examine the medical records of these patients in order to determine whether the observed improvement at the 6-month follow-up was sustained over time.

methodsPRGF efficacy was evaluated using validated questionnaires: Core Outcome Measure Index (COMI) Pain score, COMI Disability score, COMI total score, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Furthermore, an evaluation was conducted to determine whether the patients had undergone additional treatments.

resultsthe results demonstrated that 85.2% of the 27 patients who were enrolled exhibited sustained improvement across all scales over a median follow-up period of 24 months. The results of all questionnaires administered at 24 months exhibited statistically significant differences when compared to the baseline data (p < 0.01). Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences between the results reported at 6 months and those at 24 months (p > 0.05).

conclusionsthe results of this retrospective study demonstrate that treatment of chronic back pain with PRGF was effective in maintaining pain reduction and improving function for at least 24 months after the end of treatment.

Indexed as

Back painDegenerative disc diseaseGrowth factorsIntervertebral disc degenerationPlatelet-rich plasmaPRGFPRPRegenerative medicine

Identifiers

PMID39821506
PMCPMC11914421

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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.