Riassunto dello studio

94 patients between the ages of 50-75 years with knee osteoarthritis were included in this non inferiority trial in which patients were randomly allotted to undergo either traditional moxibustion (TM; n=44) or jade moxibustion (JM; n=45). The primary outcome of interest was quality of life, measured by the 8 dimensions of the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) at 8,12 and 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes of interest included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) knee stiffness scores at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks, serum levels of osteoarthritis-related cytokines. Adverse events were also recorded. The results of the study indicate that JM significantly improved role-physical and physical functioning SF-36 scores at long-term follow-up compared to TM. WOMAC stiffness scores showed significant improvement from baseline for both groups, however no significant differences were found between groups. Serum COMP, MMP-13 and MCP-1 levels in the JM group and serum IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, MMP-3 and IL-8 levels in the TM group fell significantly, although no significant differences were observed between groups. Rates of adverse events were similar for both groups.