A success rate needs a plain explanation

A useful number tells you who received what

Results from clinic customers can look hopeful even when joints improve for other reasons. Ask whether everyone got the same procedure or some people got other care.

A stronger test doesn't give everyone the same care. One group gets the new procedure, while another gets exercise, a steroid, or salt water placed in the joint.

Daily changes matter more than form points

Suppose the treated group reports slightly less pain than the other group. Ask whether that difference helped people climb stairs, sleep, dress, or walk.

If both groups improved about the same amount, the new procedure may have added little. That's more useful than hearing only that treated people felt better.

QC Kinetix can match its care to the quoted result

QC Kinetix discusses regenerative treatments, office procedures that may use a preparation from your blood, bone marrow, or fat. Ask which source its doctors plan to use and which joint was studied.

Show them the exact ad or percentage you saw, then ask what “success” meant. You'll also want the full cost, number of visits, and date for checking your progress.

If the answer stays broad, ask the doctor to say it without a percentage. Leave without deciding if the care still isn't clear.

Set a date to check whether daily life improved

Pick one task that soreness keeps you from doing now. Agree with the doctor when you'll check that same task again.

If sleep, stairs, or walking aren't easier by then, ask what comes next. Another exam, changed home care, or a surgery talk may be reasonable.

Sources

1. A meta-analysis of 14 placebo cohorts across 13 Level I trials in 1,076 knee osteoarthritis patients found that intra-articular saline - the placebo - produced pain and function improvements exceeding the minimal clinically important difference at 3 and 6 months.

   Saltzman BM, et al. — The Therapeutic Effect of Intra-articular Normal Saline Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Meta-analysis of Evidence Level 1 Studies. Am J Sports Med, 2017. DOI: 10.1177/0363546516680607.

2. A 2025 meta-analysis of 73 double-blind placebo-controlled injection trials in 5,895 knee osteoarthritis patients found placebo responder rates above 50 percent at 1, 3 and 6 months, declining by 12 months - which is why any uncontrolled 'our patients improved' claim from a clinic is uninterpretable.

   Previtali D, et al. — Placebo response to intra-articular injections in knee osteoarthritis: magnitude, evolution over time, and influencing factors. A systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression. EFORT Open Rev, 2025. DOI: 10.1530/EOR-2025-0022.

3. A systematic review of 13 phase I/II randomized trials of MSC injections found 10 of 11 studies reporting cartilage outcomes described a benefit on cartilage volume, morphology or quality - but 16 eligible trials remained unpublished, which is exactly the pattern that inflates an apparent effect.

   Gong J, et al. — Effect of Stem Cell Injections on Osteoarthritis-related Structural Outcomes: A Systematic Review. J Rheumatol, 2021. DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.200021.

4. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 8 randomized trials in 502 patients found intra-articular mesenchymal stem cells improved WOMAC scores versus control at 6 months (MD 7.44, 95% CI 1.45-13.42) and 12 months (MD 10.31, 95% CI 0.96-19.67), with wide confidence intervals and a small pooled sample.

   Cao M, et al. — Efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Stem Cell Res Ther, 2025. DOI: 10.1186/s13287-025-04252-2.