Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41583246›Full record

ReviewCureus2025

Comparing Combined Non-ablative Fractional Laser and Radiofrequency Microneedling Versus Non-ablative Fractional Laser Alone for Acne Scar Treatment: A Meta-Analysis.

Hosam Hadi Hassan Awaji, Basel H Bakhamees, Mohammed Alruwaili, Faris Alhumaid, Saja A Albenayyan, Abdulkareem A Ajaj, Wejdan M Alzahrani, Abdulla Jan, Saud Almutiri, Somia M Alshafie and 3 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

13 authors.

Hosam Hadi Hassan AwajiPreventive Medicine, North West Armed Forces Hospitals, Tabuk, SAU.
Basel H BakhameesMedicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU.
Mohammed AlruwailiSurgery, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, SAU.
Faris AlhumaidSurgery, Qassim University, Buraydah, SAU.
Saja A AlbenayyanCollege of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, SAU.
Abdulkareem A AjajMedicine, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah, SAU.
Wejdan M AlzahraniCollege of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, SAU.
Abdulla JanGeneral Practice, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, SAU.
Saud AlmutiriDermatopathology, King AbdulAziz Specialist Hospital, Sakaka, SAU.
Somia M AlshafieGynecology, Suez Canal University Hospital, Ismailia, EGY.
Sami S AlghamdiGeneral Medicine, King Fahad Hospital, Al Bahah, SAU.
Abdulrahman O AlfakhriGeneral Practice, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU.
Fatimah S AlhajriDermatology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, GBR.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The combination of fractional microneedling radiofrequency (FMR) and fractional laser (FL) is a popular multimodal treatment for atrophic acne scars, yet its superiority over FL monotherapy remains uncertain based on conflicting primary studies. This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize evidence from randomized split-face trials comparing the efficacy of combined FMR+FL versus FL alone. A systematic search identified five eligible studies comprising 116 patients. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for primary outcomes, including achievement of 50-75% improvement, change in the Échelle d'Évaluation Clinique des Cicatrices d'Acné (ECCA), also known as the Acne Scar Grading Scale, and patient-assessed global improvement. The overall analysis showed no significant advantage for combination therapy across all outcomes (improvement OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.70-2.12, p=0.48; ECCA MD: -6.47, 95% CI: -21.68-8.73, p=0.40; Global improvement MD: 0.36, 95% CI: -0.22-0.94, p=0.22). Substantial heterogeneity was noted for ECCA (I

Indexed as

acneacne scar treatmentfractional microneedling radiofrequencynon-ablative fractional laserscars

Identifiers

PMID41583246
PMCPMC12824548

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.