Comparative Efficacy Of Different Acupuncture On Knee Osteoarthritis, Experimental And Clinical Research,

Purpose: This paper is aiming at inquiring into the comparison of 3 different acupunctural methods' actions toward osteoarthritis and attempting to find out the advance one via observation of experiment with rabbits and clinical cases.Method: The Japanese rabbits as the experimental molds were caused to suffer from osteoarthritis with their knee joints injected by Papain. Acupuncture, electrical acupuncture and warm acupuncture as 3 different methods were separately carried out on their own group. Drug control group was set to compare with them. The changes of IL-1β, TNT-a and hemorrheology were observed fully. Meanwhile clinical cases applied by 3 above methods were collected for 5 courses of treatment. When the treatments were accomplished, X-ray, hemorrheologic exam and pathologic classification test were taken to observe the advantages and disadvantages of each group.Result: The animal experiments manifest: 1. Compared with non-control group, IL-1β in articular cartilage cells of the mold group was much higher than in normal articular cartilage cells (P<0.05, P<0.001); other groups presented the similar situation to drug control group. Comparatively speaking, the efficiency of pure acupuncture was inferior to electrical acupuncture and warm acupuncture which two had the similar outcome. 2. Compared with non-control group, TNF-a in articular cartilage base of the mold group was much higher than in normal articular cartilage (P<0.05). The manifestation of TNT-a was reduced by drugs as well as noticed. 3.On the aspect of hemorrheology, each group improved and accelerated the blood circulation with no apparent divergence, which was quite similar to clinical cases that were observed. Beneficial value of acupuncture was manifested in the case of the action toward osteoarthritis by experimental and clinical observation.Consequence: Being in charge of osteoarthritis, Acupuncture is certainly efficient, especially on the aspect of relieving pain and other accompany symptoms. All sorts of acupunctural methods show no diversity in result. Acupuncture is capable to improve the amount of IL-1β in articular cartilage cells, and also has the trend to improve the amount of TNT-a. However, there exists no specific index, because each group with acupuncture has the function of hemorrheologic regulation and improving blood circulation in local region. This is coordinate with the function of activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine theory.