Level A· Stronger Clinical EvidenceMeta-analysisEurope PMCOpen access

Influence of platelet-rich plasma composition on pain and functional performance in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Anitua E., Padilla S., Prado R., Tierno R., Hamdan Alkhraisat M.

Meta-analysis with a reported sample of 5251 on Knee Osteoarthritis, Osteoarthritis, published in Knee Surg Relat Res (2026) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.

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Level A· Stronger Clinical EvidenceEvidence level of this study

Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.

  • Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
  • Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
  • Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
  • Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
  • Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
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This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.

Study type
Meta-analysis
Journal
Knee Surg Relat Res (2026)
Reported sample size
5251
Source database
Europe PMC
PMID
42015328
PMCID
PMC13101336
DOI
10.1186/s43019-026-00318-4

Abstract (original English)

Background Pain, decreased quality of life, and functional impairment are common symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a degenerative joint disease. Surgery is reserved for advanced cases, and conservative treatment is primarily palliative. Although platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a novel regenerative strategy, the influence of PRP composition on its effectiveness remains unclear. The aim of this review is to determine whether PRP activation and platelet and leukocyte enrichment are associated with improved pain and functional outcomes in KOA at 6 and 12 months. Methods The systematic review included 56 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), involving a total of 5251 patients. Of these, 53 RCTs involving 5031 participants were included in the network meta-analysis. PRP treatments were compared with other nonsurgical interventions and placebo. Primary outcomes included Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index Score (WOMAC), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and visual analog scale (VAS), while International Knee Documentation Committee Score (IKDC), Lequesne Index, and EuroQol (EQ)-VAS were assessed as secondary outcomes. PRP formulations were categorized on the basis of activation status and Mishra's classification system. Both direct and indirect comparisons were performed using a frequentist network meta-analysis approach. Results Comp

What this study does not prove

  • • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.

Evidence level

Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.

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