Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25061882›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2014

Moxibustion treatment for knee osteoarthritis: a multi-centre, non-blinded, randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness and safety of the moxibustion treatment versus usual care in knee osteoarthritis patients.

Tae-Hun Kim, Kun Hyung Kim, Jung Won Kang, MinHee Lee, Kyung-Won Kang, Jung Eun Kim, Joo-Hee Kim, Seunghoon Lee, Mi-Suk Shin, So-Young Jung and 8 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
5.5field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.

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  4. Acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
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  16. [Optimal Timing of Moxibustion Intervention for Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effects Based on a Chronic Inflammatory Pain Model].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Tae-Hun KimKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea; College of Korean medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea.
Kun Hyung KimKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea; Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Korean medicine hospital, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea.
Jung Won KangDepartment of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung-Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
MinHee LeeKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Kyung-Won KangKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Jung Eun KimKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Joo-Hee KimKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Seunghoon LeeKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Mi-Suk ShinKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
So-Young JungKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Ae-Ran KimKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Hyo-Ju ParkKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Hee-Jung JungKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Ho Sueb SongKyungwon University Incheon Gill Oriental Medical Hospital, Incheon, South Korea.
Hyeong Jun KimSemyung University Jecheon Oriental Medical Hospital, Jecheon, South Korea.
Jin-Bong ChoiDongshin University Gwangju Oriental Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
Kwon Eui HongDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Daejeon University, Daejeon, South Korea.
Sun-Mi ChoiKorea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dae-Jeon, South Korea.
Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine · KRDaejeon University · KRDongshin University · KRIncheon Medical Center · KRKyung Hee University · KRSemyung University · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThis study tested the effectiveness of moxibustion on pain and function in chronic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and evaluated safety.

methodsA multi-centre, non-blinded, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial compared moxibustion with usual care (UC) in KOA. 212 South Korean patients aged 40-70 were recruited from 2011-12, stratified by mild (Kellgren/Lawrence scale grades 0/1) and moderate-severe KOA (grades 2/3/4), and randomly allocated to moxibustion or UC for four weeks. Moxibustion involved burning mugwort devices over acupuncture and Ashi points in affected knee(s). UC was allowed. Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Questionnaire (K-WOMAC), Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36v2), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), physical performance test, pain numeric rating scale (NRS) and adverse events were evaluated at 5 and 13 weeks. K-WOMAC global score at 5 weeks was the primary outcome.

results102 patients (73 mild, 29 moderate-severe) were allocated to moxibustion, 110 (77 mild, 33 moderate-severe) to UC. K-WOMAC global score (moxibustion 25.42+/-SD 19.26, UC 33.60+/-17.91, p<0.01, effect size = 0.0477), NRS (moxibustion 44.77+/-22.73, UC 56.23+/-17.71, p<0.01, effect size = 0.0073) and timed-stand test (moxibustion 24.79+/-9.76, UC 25.24+/-8.84, p = 0.0486, effect size  = 0.0021) were improved by moxibustion at 5 weeks. The primary outcome improved for mild but not moderate-severe KOA. At 13 weeks, moxibustion significantly improved the K-WOMAC global score and NRS. Moxibustion improved SF-36 physical component summary (p = 0.0299), bodily pain (p = 0.0003), physical functioning (p = 0.0025) and social functioning (p = 0.0418) at 5 weeks, with no difference in mental component summary at 5 and 13 weeks. BDI showed no difference (p = 0.34) at 5 weeks. After 1158 moxibustion treatments, 121 adverse events included first (n = 6) and second degree (n = 113) burns, pruritus and fatigue (n = 2).

conclusionsMoxibustion may improve pain, function and quality of life in KOA patients, but adverse events are common. Limitations included no sham control or blinding.

trial registrationClinical Research Information Service (CRIS) KCT0000130.

Indexed as

AdultAgedDrug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsFemaleHumansKnee JointMaleMiddle AgedMoxibustionOsteoarthritis, KneePainPain MeasurementQuality of LifeSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID25061882
PMCPMC4111481
OpenAlexW2033735621

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.