Dextrose Prolotherapy vs Saline for Knee Osteoarthritis: An Ultrasound-Guided RCT .
Comparison of the efficacy of ultrasound-guided dextrose 25% hypertonic prolotherapy and intra-articular normal saline injection on pain, functional limitation, and range of motion in patients with knee osteoarthritis; a randomized controlled trial.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2025 Mar 31;26:313.Fifty patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomized to receive ultrasound-guided intra-articular dextrose prolotherapy (25% final concentration; n=25) or intra-articular normal saline (n=25), each as a single suprapatellar injection with lidocaine and standardized home exercises. The primary outcome was WOMAC (total and subscales). Secondary outcomes included VAS pain, Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and knee extension. Outcomes were assessed at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Overall, the results revealed significant within-group improvements across all outcomes in both arms, but no between-group differences at any timepoint. In short, single-session dextrose prolotherapy was not superior to saline over 8 weeks; both were safe and well tolerated.
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