Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40186287›Full record

ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2025

Efficacy of multiple autologous apheresis platelet-rich plasma injections for treating knee osteoarthritis and its influencing factors: a retrospective cohort study.

Jie Yan, Qi Liu, Gang Dai, Chunxi Wu, Nali Song, Bin Zhang, Liu Yang, Chunyan Yao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article 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 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
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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

8 authors.

Jie Yan *Department of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
Qi Liu *Department of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
Gang DaiCenter for Joint Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
Chunxi WuDepartment of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
Nali SongDepartment of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
Bin ZhangDepartment of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
Liu YangCenter for Joint Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China. jointsurgery@163.com.
Chunyan YaoDepartment of Blood Transfusion, First Affiliated Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China. yaochunyan@tmmu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe lack of standardized Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) protocols for Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA), combined with significant patient variability, leads to inconsistent PRP effectiveness across studies. This study aims to assess the influence of PRP injection frequencies on KOA treatment and explore the role of patient characteristics and PRP properties in the treatment's effectiveness.

methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted with KOA patients who received three PRP injections (4-week intervals) at a hospital in Chongqing. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze differences in self-reported recovery rates across different treatment time points, with Bonferroni correction applied for significance level adjustment (α). The Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman correlation analysis, and restricted cubic spline models were used to assess the associations between sex, baseline Kellgren-Lawrence grade, age, PRP red blood cell (RBC) concentration, PRP white blood cell (WBC) concentration, PRP platelet concentration, the multiple of PRP platelet concentration relative to the baseline autologous level (Enrichment-PLT), and self-reported recovery rates.

resultsThe study included 28 KOA patients. Significant improvement in self-reported recovery rate was observed 4 weeks after the first treatment (median: 30.0%, P < 0.008) and after the second treatment (median: 45.0%, P < 0.008). However, no significant change was noted 4 weeks after the third treatment (median: 55.0%, P = 0.058), and recovery rates at 8, 12, and 24 weeks post-third treatment showed no significant differences compared to 4 weeks (all P > 0.008). Additionally, no correlations were found between sex, baseline Kellgren-Lawrence grade, age, PRP RBC concentration, PRP WBC concentration, PRP platelet concentration, or Enrichment-PLT and self-reported recovery rates.

conclusionAt least two PRP injections are recommended, with effects lasting for at least 24 weeks. Factors such as sex, age, baseline Kellgren-Lawrence grade, and PRP properties (prepared by apheresis) do not significantly affect treatment outcomes.

Indexed as

Osteoarthritis, KneePlateletpheresisPlatelet-Rich PlasmaAgedBlood Transfusion, AutologousCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeEfficacyInfluencing factorsInjection frequenciesKnee osteoarthritisPlatelet-rich plasma

Identifiers

PMID40186287
PMCPMC11969948

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.