Is platelet-rich plasma better than steroids as epidural drug of choice in lumbar disc disease with radiculopathy? Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ABSTRACT: The current meta-analysis was performed to analyze the efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as an epidural injectate, in comparison with steroids in the management of radiculopathy due to lumbar disc disease (LDD). We conducted independent and duplicate searches of the electronic databases (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library) in March 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) analyzing the efficacy of epidural PRP for pain relief in the management of LDD. Animal or in vitro studies, clinical studies without a comparator group, and retrospective or non-randomised clinical studies were excluded. Diverse post-intervention pain scores [visual analog score (VAS)] and functional scores [Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), SF-36], as reported in the reviewed studies,

SUBMITTER: Muthu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11832311 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature