EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ACUPOINT CATGUT EMBEDDING FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: A-PRISMA COMPLIANT SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
Author(s)
HuiYan Zhao, BsD1, Changhyun Han, Ph.D1, JaeWan Lee, student2;
1Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Korea, Republic of, 2St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju, Global Education City, Korea, Republic of
1Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Korea, Republic of, 2St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju, Global Education City, Korea, Republic of
OBJECTIVES: Acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) is a pain-management technique that inserts absorbable threads into acupoints to reduce hyperalgesia. This study systematically reviews and compares the effectiveness of ACE with other treatments for knee osteoarthritis (OA).
METHODS: We searched 11 databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, WanFang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Science-On, and KoreaMed) from their inception through August 1, 2023, without language limitations. Additionally, two registration platforms—ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry—were searched for ongoing trials. The primary outcomes were assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index (WOMAC). The secondary outcomes included the total effective rate, Lysholm score, and adverse effects. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane handbook. he meta-analysis was performed using RevMan while the quality of evidence was evaluated using GradePro.
RESULTS: A total of 28 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the present study, encompassing 2,120 participants. The most frequently used acupoint was GB34. The overall risk of bias was unclear. According to the meta-analysis results, the combination of ACE and conventional treatments showed higher effectiveness in term of the VAS, WOMAC, total effectiveness, and Lysholm scores. Moreover, compared with the sham ACE control, the results showed that the combination of ACE and conventional treatments was more beneficial in term of the VAS, WOMAC, and total effectiveness.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite some potential improvement, the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of ACE for the treatment of knee OA is inconclusive due to the poor quality of the available evidence. Future well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm ACE’s effectiveness for treating knee OA.
METHODS: We searched 11 databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, WanFang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Science-On, and KoreaMed) from their inception through August 1, 2023, without language limitations. Additionally, two registration platforms—ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry—were searched for ongoing trials. The primary outcomes were assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index (WOMAC). The secondary outcomes included the total effective rate, Lysholm score, and adverse effects. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane handbook. he meta-analysis was performed using RevMan while the quality of evidence was evaluated using GradePro.
RESULTS: A total of 28 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the present study, encompassing 2,120 participants. The most frequently used acupoint was GB34. The overall risk of bias was unclear. According to the meta-analysis results, the combination of ACE and conventional treatments showed higher effectiveness in term of the VAS, WOMAC, total effectiveness, and Lysholm scores. Moreover, compared with the sham ACE control, the results showed that the combination of ACE and conventional treatments was more beneficial in term of the VAS, WOMAC, and total effectiveness.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite some potential improvement, the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of ACE for the treatment of knee OA is inconclusive due to the poor quality of the available evidence. Future well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm ACE’s effectiveness for treating knee OA.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
SA39
Topic
Study Approaches
Topic Subcategory
Meta-Analysis & Indirect Comparisons
Disease
SDC: Musculoskeletal Disorders (Arthritis, Bone Disorders, Osteoporosis, Other Musculoskeletal), STA: Alternative Medicine