Objectives: To compare the clinical effect of combined therapy of acupotomy and electroacupuncture (EA) with the simple application of EA on knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and their influence on knee function.
Methods: Sixty-eight KOA patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, an acupotomy group and an EA group. In the acupotomy group, the combined therapy of acupotomy and EA was adopted. In the EA group, EA was simply used, delivered once every two days, 3 treatments a week；and the duration of treatment was 4 weeks. In the acupotomy group, besides the treatment as the EA group, acupotomy was combined once weekly, and the duration of treatment was 4 weeks. Separately, before and after treatment, and in 4 and 12 weeks after treatment completion (1-month and 3-month follow-up), the results of the timed up and go test (TUG), the 9-step stair climb test (9-SCT) and the knee function (Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis index visualization scale ［WOMAC］) were measured in the two groups.
Results: By the intention-to-treat analysis, the results of TUG, 9-SCT and WOMAC scores were reduced after treatment and in 1-month and 3-month follow-up when compared with those before treatment in the patients of the two groups (P<0.05). Compared with the EA group at the same time point, TUG results were decreased after treatment and in 1-month follow-up, and WOMAC score was reduced after treatment in the acupotomy group. WOMAC score in 1-month follow-up was reduced when compared with that before treatment within the acupotomy group (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Either the simple application of EA or the combined therapy of acupotomy and EA can improve knee function, but the combined therapy obviously increases the walking speed and relieves the symptoms such as joint pain and morning stiffness. The treatment with acupotomy and EA is safe and effective on KOA and the long-term effect is satisfactory.
目的: 比较刃针结合电针与单纯电针治疗膝关节骨关节炎（KOA）的临床疗效及对膝关节功能的影响。方法: 将68例KOA患者运用随机数字表法随机分为两组，分别为刃针组34例和电针组34例。其中刃针组采用刃针结合电针治疗，电针组采用单纯电针治疗，两组电针治疗均隔日1次，每周治疗3次，共治疗4周；刃针组在电针基础上增加刃针治疗，每周治疗1次，共治疗4周。治疗前、治疗后、治疗后1个月、治疗后3个月进行计时起立-步行测验（TUG）、9台阶-楼梯攀登测试（9-SCT）、膝关节功能［西安大略和麦马斯特大学骨关节炎指数可视化量表（WOMAC）］评分。结果: 通过意向性分析，与治疗前比较，两组患者治疗后、随访1个月和随访3个月时的TUG结果、9-SCT结果、WOMAC评分均显著降低（P<0.05）；与同时间点电针组相比，刃针组治疗后和随访1个月时的TUG结果显著降低，刃针组治疗后的WOMAC评分显著降低（P<0.05）；与本组治疗后比较，刃针组随访1个月时的WOMAC评分显著降低（P<0.05）。结论: 两种治疗均能改善患者膝关节功能，但是刃针结合电针更能明显提高患者的步速，改善患者的关节疼痛、晨僵等不适症状。刃针结合电针治疗KOA安全有效，并且有较好的远期疗效。.
Keywords: Acupotomy; Clinical effect; Electroacupuncture; Joint function; Knee osteoarthritis.