Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of warm moxibustion therapy in the recovery of quadriceps muscle strength in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with analgesia of the femoral nerve block (FNB).
Methods: A total of 174 patients with KOA were randomized into a warm moxibustion group and a rehabilitation group, 87 cases in each group. In the warm moxibustion group, warm moxibustion combined with conventional quadriceps strength training were used. In the rehabilitation group, conventional quadriceps strength training was given. The warm moxibustion was applied at Liangqiu (ST 34) and Zusanli (ST 36), the treatment was given twice a day, 7 days for one course, with a total of 2 courses.The quadriceps muscle strength of the two groups was recorded and compared at 24 h before FNB, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after surgery, and the resting and exercise VAS pain scores were also recorded at the same time point. And the first time for standing up and the first straight raising time in the two groups were compared, and the occurrence of adverse reactions in the two groups were observed.
Results: At 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after FNB, the quadriceps muscle strength in the warm moxibustion group was better than that in the rehabilitation group (P<0.05, P<0.01). At 72 h and 96 h after FNB, the resting and exercise VAS scores of the warm moxibustion group were lower than those of the rehabilitation group (both P<0.001). The average first straight leg raising time in the warm moxibustion group was postoperative (31.03±10.78) h, and the time in the rehabilitation group was postoperative (47.23±15.78) h. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The average time of the first time for standing up in the warm moxibustion group was postoperative (25.76±7.00) h, and postoperative (33.12±11.18) h in the rehabilitation group. The difference was also statistically significant (P<0.001). No adverse reactions occurred in both groups.
Conclusion: Warm moxibustion combined with conventional quadriceps strength training can improve the symptoms of quadriceps weakness in patients with femoral nerve block after total knee arthroplasty, and accelerate the recovery of joint function, which is superior to conventional quadriceps strength training.
Keywords: femoral nerve block; moxibustion; muscle strength; quadriceps; total knee arthroplasty.