Clinical Effect of Intra-articular Injection of Sodium Hyaluronate Combined with External Application of Shangbai Ointment for Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective To explore the clinical effect of intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate combined with external application of Shangbai Ointment for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Methods Sixty adult patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis were equally randomized into two groups. The treatment group was given intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate combined with external application of Shangbai Ointment, and the control group received only intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate. Before and after treatment, we recorded WOMAC osteoarthritis scores of pain, knee motion range, affected knee circumference, Lysholm knee function scores, and interleukin-1(IL-1), interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α) levels in knee synovial fluid. Results All of the 60 patients finished the 5-week treatment. After treatment, WOMAC osteoarthritis scores, knee motion range, affected knee circumference and Lysholm knee function scores were decreased significantly in both groups( P 0.05 compared with those before treatment), and the decrease in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group(P0.01). The levels of IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α in the knee synovial fluid were decreased in both groups(P0.05), and the decrease was more obvious in the treatment group( P 0.05). Conclusion Intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate combined with external application of Shangbai Ointment is effective and safe for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, which shows the advantage of integrated Chinese and western medicine.