Clinical outcomes of biologic therapies for knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies with ≥12-month follow-up.

Riassunto dello studio

14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing biologic therapies, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies, with placebo, hyaluronic acid (HA), corticosteroids, or other control treatments. Pooled outcomes included pain intensity, physical function, and OA progression, assessed through cartilage imaging and biochemical markers. Biologic therapies significantly reduced pain and improved physical function at follow-up periods of at least 12 months compared with control treatments. Preliminary findings also suggested potential benefits for cartilage preservation, although structural outcomes could not be pooled. These findings suggested that biologic therapies may provide sustained symptomatic improvements in knee OA, but the very low certainty of evidence limited confidence in their long-term effectiveness.