Abstract Background: This study aims to determine the effectiveness of programmed exercise with telerehabilitation at home in patients with obesity and knee osteoarthritis on visual analogue scale scores, body mass index, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Methods: This research is a pre–post study in patients with obesity and knee osteoarthritis. Research subjects performed a series of exercise programs at home for 28 days. Before the program, there was an initial assessment from a psychologist and a nutritionist. During the program, there was tele-education, telemonitoring, and teleconsultation from doctors. Twenty-six female subjects participated. Results: Visual analogue scale scores decreased statistically significantly every week, until the end of the fourth week, compared with before the intervention (p<0.001). Body mass index and WOMAC scores decreased statistically significantly at the end of the fourth week compared with before the intervention (both p<0.001). Further analysis of all WOMAC components in the intervention group, including pain, stiffness, and physical function, also showed a statistically significant decrease (p<0.001). Conclusion: Programmed exercise as part of telerehabilitation at home has been statistically proven to reduce visual analogue scale scores, body mass index, and WOMAC in patients with obesity and knee osteoarthritis.
Telerehabilitation ; Knee Osteoarthritis ; Obesity ; Body Mass Index ; Visual Analogue Scale ; WOMAC

OBJECTIVES: To assess the therapeutic effect of aucubin in mice with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and investigate the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Sixty C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into sham operation group, KOA model group, glucosamine (positive control) treatment group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose aucubin treatment groups (2, 4, and 8 mg/kg, respectively). KOA mouse models were established by transection of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and the treatment was initiated on day 1 postoperatively and administered weekly for 8 weeks. Safranin O-fast green staining, immunohistochemistry, and microCT were used to evaluate the changes in cartilage pathology, inflammatory protein expression, and subchondral bone volume fraction (BV/TV). The expression levesl of COL2, SOX9, p-P65, IL-1β and MMP13 proteins in the cartilage tissues were detected using Western blotting. In a chondrocyte model with IL-1β treatment for mimicking KOA, the effect of aucubin on chondrogenic differentiation was observed with Alcian blue and Safranin O staining, and cellular COL2, SOX9 and TNF‑α mRNA expressions were detected with RT-qPCR. RESULTS: Compared with those in the model group, the mouse models receiving aucubin treatment showed significantly upregulated COL2 and SOX9 protein levels and downregulated p-P65, IL-1β and MMP13 expressions in the cartilage tissues. In the IL-1β-induced chondrocyte model, aucubin treatment significantly upregulated the mRNA expressions of SOX9 and COL2 but lowered the mRNA expression of TNF-α. Alcian blue and Safranin O staining confirmed that aucubin promoted the synthesis of cartilage extracellular matrix and enhanced chondrogenic differentiation of the cells. CONCLUSIONS Aucubin can effectively alleviate KOA in mice by inhibiting NF‑κB-mediated cartilage inflammation, promoting cartilage matrix synthesis, and improving subchondral bone microstructure.
Animals ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/drug therapy* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Iridoid Glucosides/therapeutic use* ; SOX9 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Chondrocytes/drug effects* ; Male ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 13/metabolism* ; Collagen Type II/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal

OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

Objective To explore the effect of rehmanniae radix extract(RRE)on chondrocyte apoptosis in the rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)by regulating the miR-485-5p/heat shock protein 90 beta family member 1(Hsp90b1)axis.Methods New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned into control,KOA,low-dose RRE,medium-dose RRE,high-dose RRE,celecoxib,high-dose RRE+antagonist control,and high-dose RRE+miR-485-5p antagonist groups,with 12 rabbits in each group.Rabbits in other groups except the control group were modeled for KOA with the improved Hulth method.After modeling for 8 weeks,the rabbits were administrated with corresponding agents for 4 weeks.The changes in the activity rating of rabbits were recorded.ELISA was employed to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin(IL)-6 in the serum.Safranine O-fast green staining was conducted to reveal the pathological changes in the cartilage tissue and Mankin scoring was performed.TUNEL was employed to detect chondrocyte apoptosis.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was performed to determine the expression of miR-485-5p in the cartilage tissue.Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3(Caspase-3),and Bcl2-associated-X(Bax)in the cartilage tissue.The dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to examine the relationship between miR-485-5p and Hsp90b1.Results Compared with the control group,the KOA group showed down-regulated expression of miR-485-5p,elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum,cartilage erosion and losses,and increases in activity rating,Mankin score,chondrocyte apoptosis rate,and protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved Caspase-3,and Bax(all P<0.001).Compared with the KOA group,RRE at low,medium,and high doses,and celecoxib up-regulated the expression of miR-485-5p,lowered the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum,alleviated the pathological damage to the cartilage tissue,and decreased the activity rating,Mankin score,chondrocyte apoptosis rate,and protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved Caspase-3,and Bax(all P<0.05).Compared with the high-dose RRE group and the high-dose RRE+antagonist control group,high-dose RRE+miR-485-5p antagonist down-regulated the expression of miR-485-5p,elevated the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum,exacerbated the pathological damage to the cartilage tissue,and increased the activity rating,Mankin score,chondrocyte apoptosis rate,and protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved Caspase-3,and Bax(all P<0.05).The results indicated that there was a targeted regulatory relationship between miR-485-5p and Hsp90b1.Conclusion RRE may inhibit the expression of Hsp90b1 by up-regulating miR-485-5p,thereby inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis in the rabbit model of KOA.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Chondrocytes/pathology* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/drug therapy* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) frequently complicates the course of patients following hip and knee arthroplasty. Intrathecal morphine (ITM) was identified as a significant risk factor for POUR. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors for POUR in fast-track total joint arthroplasty (TJA) under spinal anaesthesia (SA) with ITM. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of our institutional joint registry of patients who underwent primary TJA under SA with ITM between October 2017 and May 2021. Preoperative (baseline demographics) and perioperative data were collected. The primary outcome was the incidence of POUR after 8 h or earlier, either due to lack of voiding or according to patient's complaints of bladder distension. Univariate and adjusted analyses were performed to identify predictors of POUR. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and 36 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) under SA with ITM were included in the study. POUR requiring bladder catheterisation was diagnosed in 21% of patients. Independent predictors of POUR were age over 65 years and male gender. CONCLUSIONS SA with ITM for TJA is associated with high rates of POUR in males older than 65 years of age. Other previously identified risk factors such as intraoperative fluid administration or comorbidities may not be as influential.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Urinary Retention/epidemiology* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects* ; Anesthesia, Spinal/adverse effects* ; Female ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/adverse effects* ; Morphine/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Injections, Spinal ; Incidence ; Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects* ; Aged, 80 and over

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of internal heat acupuncture therapy for knee osteoarthritis of early to middle stages, and explore its influence on cartilage thickness. METHODS: A total of 44 patients with knee osteoarthritis of early to middle stages were treated with internal heat acupuncture therapy at ashi points (most of them are located at the subpatellar fat pad, both sides of the patellar ligament, the tendon of the quadriceps and the attachment of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments), once a week, a total of 4 weeks of treatment. Before and after treatment, after 3 months of treatment completion (in the follow-up), the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) score, frequency of 30-second chair stand test (30sCST), cartilage thickness of femoral intercondylar and knee joint ultrasound score were compared, and the clinical effect was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, the VAS、WOMAC and knee joint ultrasound scores were reduced (P<0.05), frequency of 30sCST was increased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment; in the follow-up, the VAS、WOMAC scores were reduced (P<0.05), frequency of 30sCST and cartilage thickness of femoral intercondylar were increased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment. After treatment, the total effective rate was 93.2% (41/44), in the follow-up, the total effective rate was 95.5% (42/44). CONCLUSION Internal heat acupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis of early to middle stages, could relieve the pain, improve the joint function, and delay cartilage degeneration and disease progression.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Acupuncture Points

Acupotomy therapy demonstrates the definite clinical efficacy on knee osteoarthritis (KOA). After reviewing systematically the mechanism studies on acupotomy for KOA over the past 5 years, It is revealed that acupotomy synergistically intervenes in the pathological progression of KOA through multi-target approaches, such as regulating cartilage homeostasis, restoring skeletal muscle function, alleviating synovial inflammatory responses, remodeling subchondral bone, and neuromodulation. But the current research still limits to single-tissue phenotypic observation, and is insufficiency in the in-depth exploration of multi-tissue synergistic interactions and molecular upstream-downstream regulatory mechanisms. Future studies should focus on the inheritance and innovation of acupotomy theory, and integrating multi-omics analytical technologies, artificial intelligence, and novel biochemical detection methods. The mechanism research targets on the interaction mechanisms among tissues, direct effects of acupotomy, immune-inflammatory regulatory mechanisms, and analgesic mechanisms, so as to comprehensively elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of acupotomy for KOA.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/genetics* ; Animals

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on chondrocyte autophagy in rats of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Forty male SPF-grade SD rats were randomized into a blank group, a model group, a suspension group, an acupuncture group, and a combined therapy group, 8 rats in each one. Except the blank group, KOA model was prepared by the injection with papain. The suspension exercise therapy (10 min each time, three times daily), acupuncture (at "Yanglingquan" [GB34], "Zusanli" [ST36], and "Dubi" [ST35] on the right side, 30 min each intervention, once daily) and the combined therapy (the suspension exercise therapy combined with acupuncture) were delivered in the suspension group, the acupuncture group and the combined therapy group, respectively. The intervention of each group was performed continuously for 6 days, and 4 consecutive weeks, at the interval of 1 day. Before and after intervention, Lequesne MG score was assessed in the rats. After intervention, HE staining was adopted to observe the cartilaginous tissue morphology of the right knee joints, and Mankin score was evaluated; the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor neurosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured using ELISA; the real-time PCR was provided to determine the mRNA expression of collagen protein type Ⅱ(COL2), collagen protein type Ⅹ (COL10), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and autophagy-regulated protein (Beclin-1) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint; Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression of PI3K, phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), mTOR, phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) and Beclin-1 in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the rats in the model group showed the higher Lequesne MG score (P<0.01), thinner cartilage of the right knee, reduced chondrocytes and disordered arrangement, and higher Mankin score (P<0.01). Besides, in the model group, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were elevated (P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL2 and Beclin-1 and the protein expression of Beclin-1 decreased (P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL10, PI3K, Akt and mTOR, and the protein expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR increased (P<0.01) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. Compared with the model group, in the suspension group, the acupuncture group and the combined therapy group, the Lequesne MG scores were reduced (P<0.01), the cartilage of the right knee was thickened, the arrangement of chondrocytes was improved, and the Mankin scores were lower (P<0.01). Besides, in these intervention groups, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced (P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL2 and Beclin-1 and the protein expression of Beclin-1 increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the mRNA expression of COL10, PI3K, Akt and mTOR, and the protein expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. When compared with the suspension group and the acupuncture group, in the combined therapy group, the Lequesne MG score was reduced (P<0.01), and the Mankin score was reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Besides, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced (P<0.05), the mRNA expression of COL2 and Beclin-1 and the protein expression of Beclin-1 increased (P<0.05), the mRNA expression of COL10, PI3K, Akt and mTOR, and the protein expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and p-mTOR decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the cartilaginous tissue of the right knee joint. CONCLUSION Acupuncture can promote cartilage regeneration of knee joint and autophagy in KOA rats, alleviate inflammation, so as to retard cartilage degeneration, which may be possibly associated with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Chondrocytes/metabolism* ; Humans ; Autophagy ; Acupuncture Points

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with blade needle therapy for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: A total of 60 patients with KOA were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases each group. The control group received acupuncture at Neixiyan (EX-LE4)，Dubi (ST35), Yinlingquan (SP9), Liangqiu (ST34), Xuehai (SP10), Yanglingquan (GB34) and Zusanli (ST36) on the affected side, once every other day, 3 times a week. The observation group received blade needle therapy on the basis of the treatment in the control group, once every 3 days, 2 times a week. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Before treatment, after 2, 4 weeks of treatment, and after 1 month of treatment completion (in follow-up), the scores of pain visual analogue scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and Lequesne index were observed in the two groups, and the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated. RESULTS: After 2, 4 weeks of treatment and in follow-up, the pain VAS scores, Lequesne index scores, and pain, stiffness, function scores of WOMAC in both groups were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the VAS scores, Lequesne index scores and pain, function scores of WOMAC in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The effective response rate in the observation group was 76.7% (23/30), while that in the control group was 70.0% (21/30), there was no statistically significant difference in the effective response rates between the two groups (P>0.05). No adverse reactions were observed in either group. CONCLUSION Acupuncture combined with blade needle therapy could alleviate pain and promote functional recovery in KOA patients, and achieve long-lasting improvements.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Needles ; Combined Modality Therapy

BACKGROUND: The choice of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) vs . total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) remains controversial. This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the clinical results of UKA and TKA for treating unicompartmental KOA. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for articles published up to January 2, 2023. The literature was rigorously screened to include only RCTs comparing UKA and TKA for unicompartmental KOA. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to calculate the mean difference (MD), relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) according to the Cochrane standards. RESULTS: Thirteen publications involving 683 UKAs and 683 TKAs were analyzed. Except for one study with a follow-up period of 15 years, all outcome measures reported were within 5 years of follow-up. Meta-analysis showed better knee recovery (MD: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.01-1.45; P  <0.001), greater knee function (MD: 1.78; 95% CI: 0.34-3.22; P  = 0.020), less pain (MD: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.43-1.06; P  <0.001), and better health status (MD: 3.75; 95% CI: 0.81-6.69; P  = 0.010) after UKA than TKA. However, considering the minimal clinically important difference values for these variables, the findings were not clinically relevant. Moreover, UKA patients had fewer complications (RR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.45-0.78; P  <0.001) and shorter hospital stays (MD: -0.89; 95% CI: -1.57 to -0.22; P  = 0.009) than did TKA patients. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of postoperative range of movement, revision, failure, operation time, and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS In terms of clinical efficacy, there was no obvious advantage of UKA over TKA in the surgical treatment of knee OA when considering the minimal clinically important difference. The main advantage of UKA over TKA is that it leads to fewer complications and a shorter length of hospital stay. It is ideal to perform prospective studies with longer follow-up periods to fully evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of the two procedures in the future.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome