ReviewCureus2025
Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Spine-Related Health Care Utilization and Costs Following Orthobiologic Injection Versus Lumbar Surgery for Degenerative Spine Conditions.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The study was conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for knee osteoarthritis. A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database for studies published between January 2015 and June 2025. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the English language were included, while reviews, case reports, and non-randomized studies were excluded. Six high-quality RCTs were identified, including a total of 1,162 patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. PRP injections were compared with hyaluronic acid, corticosteroid injections, or placebo. Pain and function were assessed using standardized tools such as the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and the Visual Analog Scale. Significant improvements with PRP were observed at 6 and 12 months. The WOMAC pain score was reduced by an average of -8.5 points, and the IKDC score increased by +6.2 points. Both results were statistically significant. Moderate variability was found between studies, but sensitivity analyses confirmed stability of the results. Subgroup analysis did not show consistent differences between leukocyte-rich PRP and leukocyte-poor PRP. Reported side effects were minor and self-limiting. Overall, PRP demonstrated significant improvements at 6 and 12 months. Pooled analysis indicated moderate pain reduction (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.48 to -0.15; I² = 46%) and functional improvement (SMD = -0.28, 95% CI = -0.44 to -0.12; I² = 52%) compared with control groups. However, long-term structural improvement was not demonstrated. Larger trials are still needed to confirm benefits, optimize preparation methods, and assess cost-effectiveness.
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.