Meta-Analysis of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Lower Extremity Venous Ulcer.

Objectives: The therapeutic effect of platelet-rich plasma on lower extremity venous ulcers was systematically analyzed.

Methods: A computerized system search was conducted to screen literature that met the inclusion criteria using the method of "subject words + free words." Keywords included "platelet-rich plasma," "lower extremity venous disease," "lower extremity chronic venous insufficiency," "venous ulcer," and "lower extremity venous ulcer." Literature that met the inclusion criteria was searched in four commonly used Chinese databases (HowNet, Chinese biomedical literature, Wanfang, and VIP) and three commonly used foreign databases (Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library). The search period extended from the establishment of the databases to December 2021. After extracting the relevant data, a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software to compare the overall effective rate and adverse effects of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of lower extremity venous ulcers.

Results: The meta-analysis of the overall efficacy rate in the four selected papers showed no heterogeneity among the studies (P = .35 > 0.1, I2 = 0% < 50%); therefore, a fixed-effect model was used to combine the statistical data. The software analysis results indicated a significant difference in the overall efficacy rate between the experimental group and the control group (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.23-3.34, P = .002), with the experimental group showing better results than the control group. The analysis of the four selected papers also suggested potential differences in adverse reactions between the two groups after treatment, but the comparison of safety differences was not significant (OR = 2.13, 95% CI = 0.45-6.79, P = .17).

Conclusion: Platelet-rich plasma is effective in the treatment of lower extremity venous ulcers; however, there is no clear safety advantage. This finding needs to be confirmed by large-scale, multi-center research.