Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Fu's Subcutaneous Needling for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain
Published on: March 24, 2023
Short-Term Efficacy of Periarticular-Perineural Dextrose Injections for Pain and Function in Knee Osteoarthritis: A
Pedro Iván Arias-Vázquez1, Rosa Giannina Castillo-Avila2, Mauro Nicolás Guzzardo3
1Department of Rehabilitation, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Tabasco, Mexico.
Introduction:
Periarticular dextrose injections have been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). While they have been suggested to be effective for reducing pain and improving function, their safety and efficacy have not been widely evaluated.
Objective:
This systematic review aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of periarticular-perineural dextrose injections (PPDI) in individuals with KOA and to determine their clinical potential as a therapeutic modality.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Studies that compared PPDI against other therapeutic strategies for treating KOA were included.
Results:
Eight studies (n = 599 participants) were included. Within-group analysis showed all studies reported a statistically significant reduction in pain and improvement in functional limitations with PPDI. Between-group analysis found these injections to be equally or more effective than noninvasive treatments for pain reduction and functional limitations improvement in the short and medium term. A majority of studies reported that these injections were equally or more effective than intra-articular injections for pain and function in the short term; however, in the medium term, most studies reported intra-articular injections to be equally or more effective. No major adverse reactions or side effects were reported.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that PPDI could be a potential therapeutic intervention for individuals with KOA. However, due to the low methodological quality of the included studies, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. Further high-quality clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.