ReviewCurrent reviews in musculoskeletal medicine2026
Non-Biologic Injections in Sports Medicine.
Review in Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purpose of reviewNon-biologic injection therapies are among the most commonly utilized interventions in sports medicine. Yet, the evidence supporting their use varies widely across injectates and clinical indications. This review provides an overview of the most broadly used non-biologic injectates in musculoskeletal care, including corticosteroids, local anesthetics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), normal saline, dextrose prolotherapy, hyaluronic acid, and botulinum toxin. For each agent, we discuss the mechanism of action, adverse effect profile, and current clinical evidence across a range of sports medicine conditions. RECENT
findingsCorticosteroids are the most extensively studied injectate and demonstrate consistent short-term analgesic benefit; however, data highlights dose-dependent risks to articular cartilage and tendon with implications for long-term outcomes. NSAID injections have shown comparable efficacy to corticosteroids across several indications, representing a viable alternative in appropriately selected patients. Hyaluronic acid has shown benefit in knee osteoarthritis, but guideline recommendations remain divided on its use. Dextrose prolotherapy and botulinum toxin exhibit condition-specific promise, each supported by a limited but growing evidence base. The therapeutic effects observed in saline control groups underscore the complexity of interpreting injection-based research. While several traditionally employed injectates have demonstrated efficacy for short-term pain relief and functional improvement, concerns regarding long-term tissue effects and variable clinical outcomes have prompted increasing interest in alternative therapies. Accordingly, treatment selection requires careful consideration of the underlying pathology, therapeutic goals, safety profile, and available evidence. This review synthesizes the current literature to provide clinicians with a practical, evidence-based framework for the use of non-biologic injections in sports medicine.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.