Liver And Kidney Tonic, Of The Huoxuetongluo Treatment Of Osteoarthritis Of The Knee Of Clinical Research

Osteoarthritis is a group of heterogeneous diseases manifested as symptoms and signs of the joints due to the integrity damage of articular cartilage and joint marginal subchondral bone plate pathological changes. It is one of the refractory chronic osteoarthroses with high incidence. OA is much the same as Gu Bi in traditional Chinese medicine. Certain effect can be achieved if treated with Chinese Medicine.Objective : To investigate the change of symptoms in Chinese medicine and serum free radical of the osteoarthritis patients treated with the method of nourishing liver and kidney and removing blood stasis and freeing vessel.Methods : Seventy-two patients meeting the diagnosis criteria were included and randomly divided into two groups: 36 in the treatment group and 36 in control group. The treatment group were given the prescription of Bu Xu Tong Luo( one dosis daily, twice a day, orally taken) and the control group were given Kang Gu Zeng Sheng capsules(three times per day, orally taken) during one-month observation period. KOA symptoms rating scale has been designed to record the scores before and after treatment. Fasting venous blood was taken in the morning to detect the activity of SOD and GSH-Px and the content of MDA.Result: In treatment group, the controlled and remarkable effective rate is 70.00% and the total effective rate is 100%. While in the control group,the controlled and remarkable effective rate is 73.33% and the total effective rate is 93.33%. In each group, significant difference is present between scores before and after treatment(P<0.01). There is also significant difference between two group(sP<0.05). The accumulated points of pain, swelling and disability of the joints decreased significantly after treatment in both groups(P<0.01). In terms of laboratory examinations, measured values of SOD and GSH-PX after treatment are much lower than that of before treatment and measured values of MDA much higher than that of before treatment(.P<0.01 in treatment group and P<0.05 in control group). There is no difference between measured values of SOD and GSH-PX before and after treatmen(tP>0.05). The measured values of MDA in treatment group are higher than those in control group(P<0.05).Conclusions: The symptoms and signs of KOA can be greatly improved by the treatment method of nourishing liver and kidney and removing blood stasis and freeing vessel, which confirms the pathogenesis of deficiency of the liver and kidney and obstruction of collaterals by blood stasis of the disease. It is proved that the formulae can increase the activity of SOD and GSH-PX while lower the content of MDA, which may correlate with the decrease of free radical.