OBJECTIVETo study the efficacy and safety of voluntary rehabilitation exercise in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory of "treating muscle for bone".

METHODSNinety participants with early knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into experimental group (=45) and control group (=45). Patients in experimental group were treated with voluntary rehabilitation exercise combined with isometric extension of quadriceps femoris. Patients in control group were treated with apparatus training combined with isometric extension of quadriceps femoris. The treatment course lasted for two weeks. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Lysholm score and total therapeutic effect were evaluated before and after treatments.

RESULTSAfter two weeks of treatment, cure-remarkable-effective rate in experimental group (86.67%) was higher than that in control group (71.11%). The VAS scores and Lysholm scores were significantly improved in both two groups (<0.05). The results were significantly better in experimental group those in control group (<0.05). There were no serious adverse events.

CONCLUSIONSVoluntary rehabilitation exercise combined with isometric extension of quadriceps femoris was effective and safe in the treatment of early knee osteoarthritis.