Long-term effectiveness of intra-articular injectables in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Background: Intra-articular injectables are proposed as a solution for pain relief and functional improvement in knee osteoarthritis (OA), however most studies involving intra-articular knee injectables are focused on short-term relief, leaving the recommendations regarding long-term management unclear. This network meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the mid- to long-term effectiveness of intra-articular knee injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), hyaluronic acid (HA), corticosteroids (CS), and their combinations for management of knee OA.

Methods: Relevant studies were searched through PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Register of Trials databases from inception to 20th October, 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of knee OA patients who had taken intra-articular injectable treatment with a follow-up duration of at least one year.