SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Rehabil. Sci.
Sec. Rehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Conditions
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fresc.2025.1612615
This article is part of the Research TopicBiomechanics of Aging: Advances in Exercise and Intervention Strategies for Older Adult WellnessView all 8 articles
Effectiveness of Combined Regenerative Medicine and Exercise Therapy for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Scoping Review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Osaka Health Science University, Osaka, Japan
- 2Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyōgo, Japan
- 3Yamagata Saisei Hospital, Yamagata city, Japan
- 4Department of Physical Therapy, Bukkyo University, Kyoto, Japan
- 5Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Japan
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AbstractBackground:Regenerative therapies such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell treatments show promise for symptom relief in knee osteoarthritis (OA), but individual responses vary. Exercise therapy is a well-established intervention that enhances muscle strength and joint stability. Although both approaches are effective, their combined use remains underexplored. Notably, no systematic or scoping review has yet examined the specific types of regenerative medicine and exercise therapy used in combination, the outcome domains assessed (pain, function, structure, and quality of life), or the key evidence gaps. This scoping review aimed to examine these combinations, outcome domains, and gaps in the current evidence base. Methods:A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and CINAHL using keywords including “knee osteoarthritis,” “regenerative medicine,” and “exercise therapy.” Studies were included if they compared regenerative medicine alone to regenerative medicine combined with exercise therapy. Two reviewers independently extracted data on pain, physical function, and patient-reported outcomes across short-term (6–24 weeks) and long-term (up to 96 weeks) follow-up.Results:Three studies (two randomized controlled trials [RCTs], one non-RCT) were included. Sample sizes ranged from 17 to 32. Despite variations in PRP type (pure vs. leukocyte rich), and exercise regimen (home-based vs. supervised), all studies showed significant advantages in pain and function for the combined intervention group. Benefits emerged as early as 6 weeks and persisted up to 96 weeks. One study also noted structural changes via ultrasound. Conclusions:Combining regenerative medicine with exercise therapy significantly enhances pain relief and functional outcomes in knee OA patients.
Keywords: Scoping review, Regenerative Medicine, Exercise Therapy, knee osteoarthritis, pain relief, Functional improvement
Received: 16 Apr 2025; Accepted: 30 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Oka, Suzuki, Tanaka, Okuyama and Kitagawa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Takashi Kitagawa, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Japan
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