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Polynucleotide Injections for Degenerative Meniscal Tears: A Scoping Review of Current Evidence.
Devansh J Vithlan1, Philip Stott1
1Orthopaedics, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, GBR.
Cureus
|April 20, 2026
Summary
Polynucleotide (PN) injections show promise for easing knee pain from degenerative meniscal tears, offering symptom relief and a good safety profile. Further research is needed to confirm their effectiveness for this common condition.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Regenerative Medicine
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Degenerative meniscal tears are a frequent cause of knee pain and disability, especially in older adults.
- Current treatments focus on conservative management, with growing interest in injectable therapies for symptom relief and tissue preservation.
- The efficacy of polynucleotides (PN) in knee osteoarthritis is recognized, but their role in degenerative meniscal pathology requires clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of current clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of PN injections for degenerative meniscal tears in adults.
- To identify research gaps concerning PN injections in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was performed across multiple electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SAGE Journals, Wiley Online Library, Cochrane Library) up to January 2026.
- Studies included human clinical investigations of adults with degenerative, non-traumatic meniscal tears treated with PN injections, reporting clinical or radiological outcomes.
- Data were extracted and assessed descriptively, adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
Main Results:
- One prospective clinical study with 30 patients met the inclusion criteria.
- Intra- and perimeniscal PN injections demonstrated improvements in pain and function, assessed via validated patient-reported outcome scores (VAS, KOOS, IKDC, Tegner).
- No serious adverse events related to PN treatment were reported, indicating a favorable safety profile.
Conclusions:
- The current evidence suggests that PN injections may offer symptomatic benefits and possess a good safety profile for degenerative meniscal tears.
- The limited number and heterogeneity of available studies necessitate high-quality randomized controlled trials.
- Further research is crucial to establish the definitive efficacy, comparative effectiveness, and clinical utility of PN injections for degenerative meniscal tears.
