SynthesisPloS one2025
The efficacy and safety of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma versus sodium hyaluronate for the treatment of osteoarthritis: Meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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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
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Efficacy and Safety of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Knee Osteoarthritis: Umbrella Meta-Analysis Based on Clinical Evidence, Methodological Quality and Therapeutic Positioning.Clinics and practice · 2026Review
- Advances in hyaluronic acid therapy for knee osteoarthritis: monotherapy and combination strategies: an evidenced based review.Orthopedic reviews · 2026Article
- Article
- Regenerative medicine: Are we at a crossroads for interventional pain medicine or just another phase?Interventional pain medicine · 2025Article
- Tinkering with Blood: Optimizing the Coagulation System for Therapeutic Purposes.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Platelet-Rich Plasma for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Narrative Review of the Mechanisms, Preparation Protocols, and Clinical Evidence.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative joint disease that primarily affects the elderly individuals. Traditional treatments include medications and physical therapy, but recent attention has turned to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) injection therapies.
objectiveThis meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PRP combined with HA versus PRP alone in the treatment of KOA.
methodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases, which included covering publications from their inception to July 2024. Studies comparing PRP+HA with PRP alone were selected. Data on visual analog scale (VAS) scores, WOMAC total scores, Lequesne scores, and adverse events were extracted. Statistical analysis was performed via Review Manager 5.3.5.
resultThis meta-analysis included 16 studies involving a total of 1,384 patients. The VAS score comparison indicated that, in the long term, PRP combined with HA was more effective in reducing knee pain than PRP alone was (SMD: -0.30, 95% CI: -0.53 to -0.06, P = 0.01). The combined PRP and HA treatment achieved better results in terms of the WOMAC total score (MD = -6.58, 95% CI: -10.65 to -2.52, P < 0.001). At the 6-month follow-up, the Lequesne index score comparison revealed that PRP combined with HA significantly improved knee pain scores compared with PRP alone (MD = -1.38, 95% CI: -1.91 to -0.86, P < 0.001). In terms of adverse events, PRP+HA was associated with a lower risk of adverse events than PRP alone was (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.85, P = 0.009).
conclusionPRP combined with HA offers significant long-term benefits in pain relief and functional improvement over PRP alone for knee osteoarthritis, with better safety. The sequence of injection may influence treatment outcomes. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42024598691.
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