Clinical Observation on Kidney-tonifying and Blood-activating Chinese Herbal Medicine for Knee Osteoarthritis with Kidney Deficiency and Blood Stasis

【Objective】To observe the therapeutic effect of kidney-tonifying and blood-activating Chinese herbal medicine for knee osteoarthritis(OA).【Methods】 Forty-two knee OA patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis were equally randomized into two groups.Group A received Bushen Huoxue prescription(mainly composed of Cortex Eucommiae,Radix Rehmanniae Preparata,Fructus Lycii,Fructus Psoraleae,Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae,Radix Angelicae Pubescentis,Flos Carthami,Fructus Chaenomelis,Rhizoma Chuanxiong,Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae,Radix Aucklandiae,etc) and group B received Gu Xian Tablets.The treatment lasted 3 months.Scores of joint symptoms and signs,joint function and changes of X-ray manifestation were compared before and after treatment.【Results】The effective rate was 85.7% in group A and 66.6% in group B,the difference being significant(P0.05).The symptoms and signs of knee pain,disorder of knee extension,difficulty in walking and going upstairs and downstairs as well as supporting with walking stick were relieved in the two group after treatment(P0.05 or P0.01 as compared with those before treatment).The total scores of clinical manifestations were also improved in the two groups(P0.05 as compared with those before treatment).【Conclusion】Kidney-tonifying and blood-activating Chinese herbal medicine is effective for OA.