To explore the treatment outcome and mechanism of musculoskeletal manipulations and acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis.

Sixty patients with knee osteoarthritis were diagnosed in the acupuncture clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University were divided into three groups by different treatments: the musculoskeletal manipulation combined with acupuncture group, the mechanical massage combined with acupuncture group, and the conventional massage combined with acupuncture group. Three groups adopted knee function evaluation, ultrasound, X-ray detection before and after the treatment. Twenty healthy patients were set as the control group. The data were analyzed by variance analysis and paired sample t test.

Three groups presented statistically significant difference in the knee osteoarthritis index scale before and after the treatment (t=8.382, 5.681, 5.335; all P<0.01). After treatment of the medial tibiofemoral clearance group and before treatment, there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05); the distance from the outer superior edge of the patella to lateral epicondyle of the femoral mandibular release group was statistically significant before treatment compared with the control group (t=-0.433; P<0.05), three groups compared with the control group after treatment, it was statistically significant (F=4.395; P<0.05); the elasticity of the quadriceps tendon of three groups before and after treatment was compared with the healthy control group (before treatment F=5.363, P <0.01, after treatment F =5.250, P <0.05) and patellar tendon elasticity decreased compared with healthy control group (pre-treatment F =17.068, P <0.01, after treatment F =15.064, P <0.01) .

Musculoskeletal manipulation combined with acupuncture can provide good effect on the intra-articular structure of the knee osteoarthritis patients, the mechanics of the muscles around the joint, and can promote the improvement of knee osteoarthritis symptoms and quality of life.