Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40085275›Full record

SynthesisCurrent pain and headache reports2025

A Systematic Review of Regenerative Medicine Therapies for Axial Spine Pain of Facet Joint Origin.

Laxmaiah Manchikanti, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Alan D Kaye, Mahendra R Sanapati, Vidyasagar Pampati, Sahar Shekoohi, Joshua A Hirsch

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Current pain and headache reports, 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.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. General Innovations in Pain Management.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025
    Review
  7. 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.

Laxmaiah ManchikantiPain Management Centers of America, Paducah, KY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4201-9063
Alaa Abd-ElsayedUW Health Pain Services and University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
Alan D KayeDepartments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neurosciences, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2464-0187
Mahendra R SanapatiPain Management Centers of America, Evansville, IN, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1047-0765
Vidyasagar PampatiPain Management Centers of America, Paducah, KY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-1701-8382
Sahar ShekoohiDepartments of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, USA. sahar.shekoohi@lsuhs.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-4545-4523
Joshua A HirschMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5263-6535

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewThis review aims to assess the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in treating axial spinal pain originating from the facet joints. A systematic evaluation of available evidence on these biological therapies was conducted to determine their clinical utility. RECENT

findingsRecent studies emphasize the therapeutic promise of intraarticular biologics, including MSCs, PRP, and alpha-2-macroglobulin, in managing facet joint-related axial spinal pain. Emerging evidence suggests improvements in pain relief, physical function, and quality of life following these treatments. Based on our search criteria, 20 publications were identified and considered for inclusion. Of these, 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 6 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. Among the RCTs, 3 trials involved lumbar facet joints, and one trial involved cervical facet joints using PRP. Among the observational studies, 4 studies used PRP, with 3 focusing on the lumbar spine and one study, with 2 publications, on the cervical spine, and only 2 studies evaluated stem cell treatments. The summary of evidence utilizing various criteria, including Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) evidence synthesis, the evidence for PRP injections in facet joints is Level II, or moderate, and Level IV, or limited, overall, with low certainty. For PRP, the recommendation is moderate, and for MSCs, the recommendation is weak.

Indexed as

Back PainMesenchymal Stem Cell TransplantationPlatelet-Rich PlasmaRegenerative MedicineZygapophyseal JointHumansInjections, Intra-ArticularChronic low back painChronic neck painChronic spinal painFacet joint injectionsFacet joint painMesenchymal stem cellsPlatelet-rich plasmaRegenerative therapy

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.