SynthesisFrontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology2026
Are orthobiologics a plausible therapeutic option for patello-femoral pathology? A systematic review of clinical and radiological outcomes.
Synthesis in Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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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9 authors.
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Abstract
Introduction: Even though orthobiologics have been extensively studied in the treatment of tricompartmental knee osteoarthritis (OA), evidence specifically addressing their role in the management of patello-femoral pathology remains limited. Thus, the aim of the present systematic review is to critically analyze and synthesize the available clinical and, where reported, radiological evidence on the safety and the therapeutic efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)- and mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based products in the treatment of patello-femoral chondropathy (PFC) and patello-femoral osteoarthritis (PFOA). Materials and methods: A comprehensive search of four medical electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane) was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials, prospective or retrospective studies on humans evaluating the use of PRP- or MSC-based products in the treatment of PFC and PFOA. Results: A total of nine eligible studies were included; of them, four investigated PRP-based therapies and five evaluated MSC-based products. Despite the generally poor methodological quality of the existing body of evidence, a consistent trend towards a clinical and, where reported, radiological improvement was observed across the included studies, with between-group comparisons confirming the clinical superiority of both PRP- and MSC-based approaches compared to the controls. Conclusion: Even though the available clinical and, where reported, radiological evidence remains limited and methodologically heterogeneous, PRP- and MSC-based products may hold a therapeutic potential for PFC and PFOA, extending beyond their established application for tricompartmental knee OA. Systematic Review Registration: identifier CRD420261343230.
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