OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects between moxibustion and infrared therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

METHODSFrom January 2007 to June 2008 period, 65 patients with knee osteoarthritis were divided into treatment and control groups randomly uniform random number table generated from SAS statistical software. Among 35 patients in the treatment group, 17 patients were male and 18 patients were female, ranging in age from 45 to 75 years, with an average of (61.2+/-6.4) years; the course of disease ranged from 9 to 43 months, with a mean of (23.6+/-13.8) months; the preoperative Lysholm score ranged from 19 to 28 scores, averaged (24.3+/-3.3) scores. In the control group, there were 30 patients, including 13 males and 17 females, ranging in age from 47 to 79 years, with an average of (62.5+/-9.3) years; the course of disease ranged from 8 to 45 months, with a mean of (24.6+/-16.6) months; the preoperative Lysholm score ranged from 20 to 29 scores, averaged (25.9+/-3.0) scores. The patients in the treatment group were treated with moxibustion, and the patients in control group were treated with infrared therapy. All the patients were followed up for 4 weeks. The Lysholm scores were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAccording to Lysholm score for clinical efficacy, treatment group got (87.5+/-5.6) scores and the control group were (85.9+/-3.5) scores, the Lysholm score of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). Among pain score, joint flexion and extension score, joint stability score, and up and down stairs score, the pain and joint stability scores of patients in the treatment group were higher than those of control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCompared with infrared therapy, moxibustion treatment for knee osteoarthritis can get better joint function, which is effect to alleviate the patient's pain, improve joint stability, improve the efficacy, and is valued to be promoted.