ReviewOrthopaedic journal of sports medicine2026
Platelet Concentration Is Not Associated With Improved Pain for Partial-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears Treated With Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis With Meta-regression of Level 1 Randomized Controlled Trials.
Review in Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 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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Abstract
Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a nonoperative treatment option to manage pain and improve functionality in patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. Previous studies examining the efficacy of PRP for the management of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears describe heterogeneous results. Purpose: To determine whether platelet concentration of a PRP injection as management for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears affects visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase to identify level 1 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the clinical efficacy of PRP for the management of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. The search phrase used was "rotator cuff partial platelet rich plasma." Included RCTs were classified as utilizing high-dose or low-dose PRP based on their platelet concentration factor as greater than a 4-fold increase over whole blood. The primary outcome evaluated was the standardized mean differences of VAS scores. Mixed-effects and random effects meta-analyses were performed along with meta-regression to evaluate relationships in VAS scores associated with PRP platelet dose. Results: Ten studies met inclusion and exclusion criteria, including a total of 635 patients (PRP, n = 307; control, n = 328). The mean patient age at the time of injection was 50.6 years, the mean follow-up time was 10.0 months, and the mean male sex distribution was 44.4%. Of the 10 studies, 6 studies utilized high-dose PRP and 4 studies utilized low-dose PRP. In both the meta-analysis and the meta-regression analyses, there were no significant differences in mean postinjection VAS scores between platelet dosage groups ( Conclusion: Among level 1 RCTs reporting VAS pain scores after PRP injection for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears, platelet concentration was not significantly associated with improved pain outcomes. However, substantial heterogeneity and inconsistent reporting of PRP composition limit the certainty of this finding.
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