SynthesisJournal of foot and ankle research2026
Efficacy and Safety of Dextrose Prolotherapy Versus Corticosteroid Injections in Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of foot and ankle research, 2026. 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.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Efficacy and Safety of Dextrose Prolotherapy Versus Corticosteroid Injections in Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2026Pooled it
- Outcome Analysis of Leukocyte-Rich Platelet-Rich Plasma, Leukocyte-Poor Platelet-Rich Plasma, and Injectable Platelet-Rich Fibrin in the Management of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Prospective Comparative Study.Journal of orthopaedic case reports · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPlantar fasciitis (PF) is a common cause of heel pain that affects the health-related quality of life of many individuals and has various treatment options. Two effective interventions are corticosteroid (CS) injections and dextrose prolotherapy (DP). This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of DP and CS in patients with PF systematically.
methodsRelevant studies, including those comparing DP and CS for treating PF, were identified by searching electronic databases until August 2025. The visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, foot function index (FFI), and plantar fascia thickness (PFT) were compared between the groups in the short term (0.5-1 month) and mid-term (3 months). Statistical analyses were performed via RevMan 4.5.1, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
resultsFive RCTs and two cohort studies, with a total of 567 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. The analysis revealed that at the short-term follow-up (1 month), corticosteroid injections were more effective at reducing the VAS pain scores than dextrose prolotherapy for general VAS score (MD = 1.85, 95% CI [0.05, 3.64], p = 0.04), the VAS score at the first step in the morning (MD = 1.26, 95% CI [0.49, 2.02], p = 0.001), and the VAS score for pain while walking (MD = 1.85, 95% CI [0.68, 3.02], p = 0.002). Similarly, at the short-term follow-up (1 month), the analysis revealed a significantly greater reduction in the FFI score (MD = 18.81, 95% CI [0.06, 37.55]) and PFT (MD = 0.26 mm, 95% CI [0.07, 0.45]) in the CS group than in the DP group. At 3 months, the analysis revealed a significant decrease in the FFI score (p = 0.003) in the DP group compared with the CS group, whereas no significant difference was observed in the VAS scores or PFT.
conclusionIn patients with plantar fasciitis, CS injections had greater efficacy than DP did in the short term; however, their efficacy became similar in the mid-term follow-up, with DP outperforming CS in terms of foot function. Further trials with standardized protocols and long-term follow-ups are needed to address potential biases.
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