SynthesisJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2025
Comparative efficacy of different doses of platelet-rich plasma injection in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Autologous platelet-rich plasma versus hyaluronic acid, corticosteroids or saline for knee osteoarthritis: can blood draw volume serve as a proxy for platelet dose? A systematic review and meta-analysis.International orthopaedics · 2026Pooled it
- Platelet-Rich Plasma: Are We Ahead of the Evidence?The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2026Article
- Platelet-Rich Plasma for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Narrative Review of the Mechanisms, Preparation Protocols, and Clinical Evidence.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Considerations in modern regenerative medicine for osteoarthritis.EFORT open reviews · 2025Article
- Platelet-rich plasma improves pain and function in knee osteoarthritis: a retrospective study.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Article
- Current Perspectives on Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: How to Optimize Clinical Outcomes.Open access journal of sports medicine · 2025Review
- Knee osteoarthritis health information on China's TikTok: a cross-sectional analysis of content quality and public health relevance.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) is increasingly used for knee osteoarthritis, but the optimal dosage still needs to be determined. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of various PRP doses in treating knee osteoarthritis.
methodsWe searched published data in Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov, with no language restrictions from the inception to 30 September 2024. We enrolled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the clinical efficiency of different doses of PRP injection in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The outcomes were reduction in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score or improvement of the total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score. We finally extracted data for four groups, including single PRP injection (PRP1), two PRP injections (PRP2), and three PRP injections (PRP3). We carried out network meta-analyses with the frequentist approach, using a random-effects model to pool the data.
resultsA total of 10 eligible RCTs were included, comprising 719 patients. In the 1st month of follow-up, PRP2 and PRP3 demonstrated significantly better VAS and WOMAC scores compared to PRP1, with PRP3 being the most effective in both measures. By months 3 and 6, PRP3 continued to show superior efficacy in both outcomes. PRP2 also exhibited significant improvement in the WOMAC score compared to PRP1 at months 1 and 3. No significant differences were found in the VAS pain score between PRP1 and PRP2 at months 3 and 6. Finally, no major adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation were reported for any PRP groups.
conclusionThis network meta-analysis highlights the superior efficacy of higher-dose PRP, particularly PRP3, in reducing pain and improving function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
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.