RT journal article
T1 Percutaneous Electrolysis for Patellar Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A1 Góngora Rodríguez, Jorge Manuel
A1 Rosety Rodríguez, Miguel Ángel
A1 Fernández Santos, Jorge del Rosario
A1 Ayala Martínez, Carmen María
A1 Góngora Rodríguez, Jorge Manuel
A2 Didáctica de la Educación FísicaPlástica y Musical
A2 Enfermería y Fisioterapia
K1 eccentric exercise
K1 patellar tendinopathy
K1 percutaneous electrolysis
K1 physical therapy
K1 rehabilitation
AB Patellar tendinopathy is a chronic musculoskeletal condition characterized by localized pain and functional impairment. This systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis aimed to synthesize current evidence on the effectiveness of percutaneous electrolysis (PE), combined with eccentric exercise, for improving functional performance in individuals with patellar tendinopathy. Following PRISMA guidelines and registration in PROSPERO (CRD420251233971), comprehensive searches were performed in Cochrane Library, PEDro, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Only two randomized controlled trials, published between 2016 and 2021, met the eligibility criteria and were included in the quantitative synthesis. Functional capacity recorded using the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella (VISA-P) scale was the primary outcome. Both included studies presented some concerns regarding risk of bias. The pooled random-effects meta-analysis (REML estimation with Hartung–Knapp–Sidik–Jonkman adjustment) revealed no statistically significant difference favoring PE over control interventions (Hedges’ g = –0.10; 95% CI: –2.69 to 2.50; p = 0.72). Statistical heterogeneity was nominally low (I2 = 0%), although this metric is uninformative with only two studies. Between-group differences in both studies were below the minimal clinically important difference for the VISA-P scale. The certainty of evidence according to the GRADE framework was rated as very low. Given the extremely limited evidence base, these findings should be considered strictly exploratory. The very low certainty of evidence precludes definitive conclusions regarding the comparative effectiveness of PE. Larger, adequately powered randomized trials with standardized protocols and long-term follow-up are needed.
PB MDPI
SN 2075-1729
YR 2026
FD 2026-05-19
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/40542
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/40542
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 06-nov-2026