Comparison of the efficacy of 12 interventions in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: a network meta-analysis
Objective This study aimed to comprehensively compare the efficacy of 12 interventions for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) using a network meta-analysis (NMA). Methods The NMA was conducted by PRISMA guidelines, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023461811). PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PeerJ Inc.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | PeerJ |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/19809.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Objective This study aimed to comprehensively compare the efficacy of 12 interventions for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) using a network meta-analysis (NMA). Methods The NMA was conducted by PRISMA guidelines, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023461811). PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were systematically searched from inception to September 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling patients with DFU were included if they compared epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cells (SC), low-frequency ultrasound (LFU), negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), low-level laser therapy (LLLT), electric stimulation (ES), extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), amniotic membrane therapy (AMT), hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), and topical oxygen therapy (TOT) against standard of care (SOC) or placebo. The primary endpoint assessed was the wound healing rate. Secondary endpoints comprised wound healing time, percentage area reduction (PAR), and amputation rate. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was calculated to rank the efficacy of interventions. Results A total of 99 RCTs involving 7,356 patients were included. Among the 12 interventions analyzed, only LFU (OR = 2.20; 95% CI [0.99–4.91]) and ES (OR = 1.88; 95% CI [0.87–4.05]) did not demonstrate statistically significant improvements in ulcer healing rate compared with SOC. Based on SUCRA rankings, SC (SUCRA = 89.7%; OR = 5.71; 95% CI [2.64–12.34]) and AMT (SUCRA = 89.2%; OR = 5.11; 95% CI [3.12–8.37]) ranked highest in promoting ulcer healing, while LFU (29.4%) and SOC (10.4%) ranked lowest. Regarding wound healing time, AMT (MD = –26.91 days; 95% CI [−44.27 to −9.55]), PRP (MD = –21.65 days; 95% CI [−33.61 to −9.69]), and NPWT (MD = −16.79 days; 95% CI [−31.12 to −2.26]) significantly reduced healing durations compared to SOC. SUCRA rankings indicated that AMT (84.7%) and PRP (74.6%) ranked highest, while LFU (29.4%) and SOC (10.4%) remained lowest. Concerning PAR, LLLT (MD = 34.27; 95% CI [17.35–51.20]) and ESWT (MD = 27.50; 95% CI [11.00–44.00]) showed significant improvements over SOC, with LLLT (SUCRA = 93.9%) and ESWT (SUCRA = 84.0%) ranking highest, while SOC (21.0%) and TOT (18.3%) ranked lowest. For amputation rate, SC (OR = 0.12; 95% CI [0.03–0.55]) and HBOT (OR = 0.35; 95% CI [0.16–0.78]) significantly lowered the risk compared to SOC, with SUCRA rankings placing SC (79.9%) and PRP (73.2%) as most effective, while NPWT (26.4%) and SOC (9.9%) were least effective. Conclusions SC and AMT emerged as highly effective, demonstrating superior efficacy in improving healing rate compared to PDGF, ES, and HBOT. AMT also showed significant effects in shortening ulcer healing time. LLLT exhibited considerable effectiveness in reducing ulcer areas, and SC therapy was associated with reduced amputation rate. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2167-8359 |