Platelet-rich plasma versus autologous blood versus steroid injection in lateral epicondylitis: systematic review and network meta-analysis

Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Official Journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Table 3 Summarized results of direct comparisons according to type of interventions

Clinical outcomes	No. of studies	I ²	No. of subjects	UMD (95 % CI)
VAS
PRP vs. AB	3	0	72 vs. 72	−1.1 (−1.3, −0.8)*
PRP vs. steroid	2	77.4	66 vs. 64	−1.7 (−2.6, −0.8)*
AB vs. steroid	2	0	60 vs. 60	−2.5 (−3.5, −1.5)*
DASH score
PRP vs. steroid	2	91.6	96 vs. 94	−16.3 (−22.3, −10.4)*
AB vs. steroid	1	–	30 vs. 30	−25.5 (−33.8, −17.2)*
PRTEE score
PRP vs. AB	1	–	80 vs 70	−11.0 (−18.3, −3.7)*
PRP vs. steroid	1	–	20 vs. 20	−7.3 (−13.8, −0.9)*
AB vs. steroid	1	–	30 vs. 30	−5.3 (−9.1, −1.6)*
PPT
PRP vs. AB	2	68	58 vs. 58	2.5 (−1.5, 6.5)
AB vs. steroid	1	–	30 vs. 30	9.9 (5.6, 14.2)*

Adverse effects	No. of studies	I ²	No. of subjects	RR (95 % CI)
PRP vs. AB	1	–	14 vs.14	0.44 (0.17, 1.11)
PRP vs. steroid	2	0	71 vs. 69	1.00 (0.31, 3.24)
AB vs. steroid	2	0	60 vs. 60	1.78 (1.00, 3.17)*

Non-response rate	No. of studies	I ²	No. of subjects	RR (95 % CI)
PRP vs. steroid	1	–	51 vs. 49	1.23 (1.01, 1.49)*

PRP platelet-rich plasma, AB autologous blood, Steroid corticosteroid, VAS visual analog score, DASH Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand, PRTEE Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation, PPT pressure pain threshold, I ² degree of heterogeneity, UMD unstandardized mean differences, CI confidence interval, RR relative risk
* Statistically significant difference (P < 0.05)