Clinical study on Knee Three Needles combined with ultra-short wave for knee osteoarthritis

This study investigates the clinical efficacy of Knee Three Needles combined with ultra-short wave for knee osteoarthritis and its effects on different traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types. This retrospective, non-randomized cohort study enrolled 180 patients with knee osteoarthritis from June 2024 to June 2025. Patients were classified according to the rehabilitation protocols previously received into 3 groups (n = 60 each): Knee Three Needles (Group A), ultra-short wave (Group B), and combination therapy (Group C). All received basic treatment (education, exercises, and oral glucosamine hydrochloride). Group A received Knee Three Needles acupuncture (main points: bilateral Knee Eye, Liangqiu, and Xuehai; adjunct points based on syndrome). Group B received ultra-short wave therapy (nonthermal/microthermal, 20 minutes/session). Group C received both treatments. All interventions were administered once daily, with 10 sessions per course. Individual matching for age (±3 years) and body mass index (±1.5) was applied, with analysis of covariance correcting for baseline differences. Visual Analog Scale (rest/motion pain), Lysholm score, and knee range of motion (ROM) were assessed pre- and posttreatment. Baseline data were comparable among groups (P > .05). All groups showed significant posttreatment improvements in Visual Analog Scale, Lysholm score, and ROM (P < .001). Group C demonstrated significantly lower posttreatment rest pain (1.68 ± 0.95) and motion pain (2.95 ± 1.36) versus Groups A and B (P < .05), with superior pain reduction (P < .01). Lysholm score (80.26 ± 10.42) and improvement value (31.30 ± 10.68) in Group C were significantly higher than those in the other groups (P < .01). Flexion/extension improvements in Group C (18.32 ± 9.56°/5.19 ± 3.42°) also surpassed those in Groups A and B (P < .01). The total efficacy rate in Group C (93.3%) was significantly higher than that in Group A (83.3%) and that in Group B (78.3%; P < .05). Subgroup analysis revealed significantly greater Lysholm score improvements in Group C across Blood Stasis, Dampness, and Cold Predominance syndromes versus the monotherapy groups within the same syndrome types (P < .05 or P < .01). For Cold Predominance syndrome, the improvement in Group A (23.18 ± 9.24) exceeded that in Group B (18.28 ± 9.56). In this retrospective cohort, receipt of Knee Three Needles combined with ultra-short wave was associated with greater short-term improvements in pain, function, and ROM than either monotherapy. Because treatment allocation was non-randomized, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than proof of causality or synergy.