Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42130694›Full record

ArticleMedical acupuncture2026

A Scoping Review of Ultrasound Visualization of Thin Acupuncture Needles Inserted into the Human Body and Reporting of Imaging Conditions.

Miyono Okinaka, Tsunehiko Wada

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Medical acupuncture, 2026. 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

2 authors.

Miyono OkinakaAcupuncture and Physical Therapy Teacher Training School, University of Tsukuba, Tokyo, Japan.
Tsunehiko WadaAcupuncture and Physical Therapy Teacher Training School, University of Tsukuba, Tokyo, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: This scoping review aimed to examine the existing literature on ultrasound visualization of acupuncture needles inserted into the human body, with a focus on image characteristics and methodological reproducibility. Methods: A search of the PubMed database was conducted on September 1, 2023, using terms related to acupuncture, dry needling, and ultrasound. English-language articles containing ultrasound images of acupuncture needle insertion into human tissue were eligible for inclusion. Results: In the 21 studies included in this review, acupuncture needles with diameters ranging from 0.16 to 0.35 mm were visualized using ultrasound imaging. However, the reporting of imaging conditions and equipment specifications was limited, leaving concerns regarding the reproducibility of methodologies and the validity of cross-study comparisons. Conclusion: Ultrasound visualization of acupuncture needles inserted into the human body has been demonstrated in several studies. To support further development in this field, future research should aim to provide standardized and detailed descriptions of imaging techniques and parameters.

Indexed as

acupunctureneedle visualizationultrasound

Identifiers

PMID42130694
PMCPMC13158468

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.