ReviewJournal of experimental orthopaedics2025
Common intra-articular knee injections demonstrate a similar recovery trajectory over 60 months: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15,418 participants.
Review in Journal of experimental orthopaedics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Combined ultrasound-guided hyaluronic acid injections, high-power laser therapy and physiotherapy improve hip function in osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2026Article
- Common intra-articular knee injections demonstrate a similar recovery trajectory over 60 months: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15,418 participants.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: To summarise the recovery trajectories of people undergoing intra-articular knee injections in randomised-controlled trials (RCTs) for osteoarthritis (OA) using patient-reported outcome measures over time. Methods: A systematic review of published RCTs on intra-articular knee injections with at least 100 participants enrolled and a minimum of 6-month follow-up was conducted. MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched until April 2025. A meta-analysis of within-arm response to treatments was calculated as the standardised mean change and 95% confidence interval (CI) at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 60 months by randomly selecting one arm from each study. Subgroup analyses were performed according to treatment received. The primary outcome measure included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Secondary outcome measures included the visual analogue scale (VAS), Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and International Knee Documentation Centre Score. Results: This study included 73 RCTs (15,418 participants). Pooled SMC for total WOMAC was -2.59 (95% CI: -4.35 to -0.84) at 1 month, -3.3 (95% CI: -5.10 to -1.50) at 3 months, -2.58 (95% CI: -3.95 to -1.20) at 6 months, -3.19 (95% CI: -7.18 to 0.79) at 9 months, -2.09 (95% CI: -3.50 to -0.67) at 12 months, -0.05 (95% CI: -1.43 to 1.34) at 24 months and 0.04 (95% CI: -1.50 to 1.59) at 60 months. Hyaluronic acid (HA), autologous blood product and steroid arms all showed a similar trend. A similar trend was seen for all subscores. Placebo or physiotherapy showed little improvement, except for in VAS pain for 6 months. Conclusion: People undergoing HA, autologous blood product and steroid injections demonstrated a consistent pattern in improvement. This may explain why existing meta-analyses demonstrate inconsistencies in superior treatment. The lack of improvement in placebo or physiotherapy arms suggests regression to the mean is not evident. Clinical Trial: PROSPERO CRD42023445663. Level of Evidence: Level I.
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