Effectiveness and feasibility of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis: a pilot randomized controlled trial

42 patients with Kellgren-Lawrence grade II-III knee osteoarthritis were randomized to an 8 week protocol of either traditional Chinese acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Patients attended 20-minute treatment sessions, three times per week for the 8 weeks. Patients were primarily assessed for rate of treatment response, based on a reduction of at least 36 points in the sum of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Pain and Function scales. Secondary outcomes included mean scores for pain, function, and quality-of-life measures after 8 weeks, 16 weeks, and 26 weeks. Results demonstrated no statistically significant between-group differences in either the primary outcome or the secondary outcome measures.