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Academic Influence and Industry Funding in Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections: Coauthorship Network Analysis.
Matthew Michelberger1, Christopher Waite, Samir Alkhouri
1From the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine (Mr. Michelberger, Mr. Alkhouri, Mr. Nadeem-Tariq, Dr. Fang, Dr. Evans, Dr. Maitra, Dr. Nelson), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Henderson, NV, and the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Mr. Waite, Ms. Ahmad), Henderson, NV.
Industry funding for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections is primarily general payments, not research. A small group of authors dominates influence in PRP research, despite funding not correlating with publication output.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedics
- Sports Medicine
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are increasingly used in orthopaedics and sports medicine.
- Evidence for PRP's clinical efficacy remains inconsistent.
- Concerns exist regarding industry funding's influence on PRP research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between industry funding and academic influence in PRP injection research.
- To analyze funding patterns and author collaboration in PRP literature.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 81 PRP injection studies (2017-2024) from Q1 journals.
- Authors linked to Open Payments Database via National Provider Identifier (NPI).
- Coauthorship network analysis to map collaboration patterns.
Main Results:
- Total industry funding to PRP authors: $36.1 million.
- General payments significantly outnumbered research payments.
- Funding did not correlate with publication count or study outcomes.
- Top 10% of authors accounted for over 40% of network activity.
Conclusions:
- Most industry funding for PRP research comprises general payments.
- A small group of authors exerts disproportionate influence within the PRP research community.
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