Trial reportChinese journal of integrative medicine2021
Chinese Medicine Involving Triple Rehabilitation Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis in 696 Outpatients: A Multi-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in Chinese journal of integrative medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Randomized Controlled Trials Studying Nonoperative Treatments of Osteoarthritis Often Use Misleading and Uninformative Control Groups: A Systematic Review.Clinical orthopaedics and related research · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Efficacy and Safety of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Knee Osteoarthritis: Umbrella Meta-Analysis Based on Clinical Evidence, Methodological Quality and Therapeutic Positioning.Clinics and practice · 2026Review
- Non-Pharmacological Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Advances in Electroacupuncture for Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: Mechanisms, Efficacy, and Future Directions.Journal of pain research · 2025Review
- Paeoniflorin, the Main Monomer Component of Paeonia lactiflora, Exhibits Anti-inflammatory Properties in Osteoarthritis Synovial Inflammation.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2024Article
- Knee osteoarthritis: A review of animal models and intervention of traditional Chinese medicine.Animal models and experimental medicine · 2024Review
- Efficacy and safety comparison of infrared laser moxibustion and traditional moxibustion in knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a Zelen-design randomized controlled non-inferiority clinical trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2023Article
- Effects of traditional Chinese herb hot compress combined with therapeutic exercise on pain, proprioception, and functional performance among older adults with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Article
- A Study on the Potential Mechanism of Shujin Dingtong Recipe against Osteoarthritis Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.Computational and mathematical methods in medicine · 2022Article
- Chondroprotective Effects of Gubitong Recipe via Inhibiting Excessive Mitophagy of Chondrocytes.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine the effects of Chinese medicine (CM) involving triple rehabilitation therapy on the progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).
methodsA total of 722 patients recruited from 38 community health service centers located in China from March 2013 to March 2017 were randomly divided into treatment and control groups equally, using a cluster randomization design. Health education combined with CM involving triple rehabilitation therapy for KOA (electro-acupuncture, Chinese medicinal herb fumigating-washing, and traditional exercises) was administered in the treatment group while conventional rehabilitation therapy (physical factor therapy, joint movement training, and muscle strength training) was administered in the control group. Patients with a visual analog scale (VAS) scores ≽4 were treated with dispersible meloxicam tablets (7.5 mg, once daily). The Lequesne index scores, VAS scores, range of motion (ROM), lower limb muscle strength, knee joint circumference, quantitative scores of KOA symptoms, and the short-form 36 item health survey questionnaire (SF-36) scores were measured for each patient at 5 checkpoints (before treatment, at the 2nd week and the 4th week during the 4-week treatment period, at 1 month and 3 months after end of treatment), and adverse reactions were observed also.
resultsA total of 696 patients completed the entire process, with 351 in the treatment group and 345 in the control group. At all treatment checkpoints, the treatment group demonstrated better outcomes than the control group with regard to the total Lequesne index scores, effective rate and improvement rate of the total Lequesne index scores, VAS scores, lower limb muscle strength, knee circumference, quantitative scores of KOA symptoms, and SF-36 scores as well (P<0.05 or P<0.01). No adverse reactions were encountered in this study.
conclusionsCM involving triple rehabilitation therapy can alleviate KOA-related pain and swelling, improve lower limb muscle strength, promote flexion and activity of the knee and improve the quality of life in patients undergoing KOA. It is suitable for patients with early or mid-stage KOA. (Registration No. ChiCTR-TRC-12002538).
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