ReviewCureus2025
Efficacy and Safety of Intra-articular Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Versus Corticosteroid Injections in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials.
Review in Cureus, 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.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Intra-articular injections for shoulder arthritis in adults: a systematic review.European journal of medical research · 2025Pooled it
- Time-dependent growth factor kinetics, platelet concentration, and clinical response following platelet-rich plasma versus saline in chronic tenosynovitis: a randomized controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent condition that significantly impacts the quality of life due to pain and associated disability. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have emerged as a promising alternative treatment, though their efficacy and safety remain debatable. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PRP injections in patients with knee OA by analyzing randomized clinical trials (RCTs). A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and the Virtual Health Library (VHL) for studies published from 2019 to 2024, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data extraction and methodological quality assessment were performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2). Of the 129 studies identified, six met the inclusion criteria. The studies varied in sample size (36-80 patients) and PRP preparation methods. The results suggest that intra-articular (IA) PRP and corticosteroid (CS) injections are safe and effective for treating knee OA, reducing pain and improving symptoms. Some studies indicate that PRP injections may offer prolonged benefits, although there is no consensus on whether one treatment is superior. No serious adverse effects were reported, and the side effects observed were mild, suggesting a favorable safety profile. In conclusion, PRP is a viable therapeutic alternative for managing knee OA, with sustained benefits compared to CS. However, further research is needed to standardize protocols and assess long-term effects.
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.