title: The clinical impact of platelet-rich plasma on tendinopathy compared to placebo or dry needling injections: A meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the impact of platelet-rich plasma with that of placebo or dry needling injections on tendinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The databases of PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, Web of Science, and trial registries, reference lists, and conference abstract books were searched up to December 2014. Adults with tendinopathy in randomized controlled trials were enrolled. The trials compared effect of platelet-rich plasma with that of placebo or dry needling. We used subgroup analysis linked to the anatomical location of the tendinopathy. The primary outcome was pain intensity at two or three and six months after intervention. The secondary outcome was functional disability at three months after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five trials were included. There was a statistically significant difference in favor of the platelet-rich plasma intervention at the second primary outcome time point (SMD -0.48, 95%CIs -0.86 to -0.10, I(2) = 0%, p = 0.01) and at the secondary outcome time point (SMD -0.47, 95%CIs -0.85 to -0.09, I(2) = 0%, p=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Platelet-rich plasma did not provide significantly greater clinical benefit versus placebo or dry needling for the treatment of tendinopathy at a six-month follow-up. However, there was a marginal clinical difference in favor of platelet-rich plasma injections on rotator cuff tendinopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: kostastsikop@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsikopoulos
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsikopoulos
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simeonidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Efthymia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papathanasiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Anna-Bettina
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Haidich
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Anastasopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Natsis
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Meta-analysis; Platelet-rich plasma; Tendinopathy