Demonstrating the effectiveness of intra-articular prolotherapy combined with peri-articular perineural injection in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

研究概要

Sixty patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomized to receive intra-articular prolotherapy (IG, n=20), peri-articular perineural injection (PG, n=20), or a combination of the two treatments (I + PG, n=20). The primary outcome of interest was pain intensity measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included knee function measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and pressure pain threshold (PPT). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Overall, the results revealed that the I + PG group showed significantly greater improvements in pain and function compared to the single therapy groups, with a significant decrease in VAS and WOMAC scores at 4 and 8 weeks. This suggests that combined therapy may provide enhanced short-term pain relief and functional improvement for knee osteoarthritis patients.