SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2025
Comparison of hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparative Short-Term Clinical Outcomes of Hybrid Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Knee Degenerative Conditions: An Exploratory Real-World Retrospective Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- Pharmacological Agents for Soft Tissue and Articular Injections: From Mechanisms to Clinical Applications.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- The efficacy and safety of platelet rich plasma and hyaluronic acid in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
- Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) Versus Saline Intraosseous Infiltrations Combined with Intra-Articular PRGF in Severe Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Double-Blind Multicentric Randomized Controlled Trial with 1-Year Follow-Up.Journal of clinical medicine · 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
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common joint disorder, and intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are frequently employed therapeutic interventions. However, there remains controversy regarding their efficacy. This systematic review aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of HA and PRP through a meta-analysis, with the objective of identifying the optimal treatment protocol for KOA and enhancing its management.
methodsRandomized controlled trials evaluating the clinical outcomes of patients receiving intra-articular injections of either HA or PRP were included as eligible studies. Two independent investigators assessed the selected studies and evaluated their risk of bias. Primary outcome measures included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and other relevant assessment indices. Dichotomous variables were analyzed using risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Data analysis was conducted using RevMan software (version 5.3).
resultsA total of forty-two randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. No significant differences were observed between the patient populations in the two groups. The analysis demonstrated that PRP resulted in lower VAS and WOMAC scores compared to HA. Additionally, PRP exhibited superior performance across other evaluation indices. Notably, the incidence of adverse events was higher in the PRP group; however, all reported complications were mild.
conclusionsBased on the current evidence, intra-articular injection of PRP appears to be more effective than HA for the treatment of KOA, as indicated by the analysis of VAS, WOMAC scores, and other evaluation indices.
trial registrationRetrospectively registered.
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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.