Effects of Jiejin point blade needle release on pain and joint mobility in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Wu Guangyi; Zhou Weiwei; Yang Bing; Yang Yonghong; Huang Haofei; Ma Tianhong; Tang Hongyan

doi:10.11986/j.issn.1673-873X.2025.12.11

Abstract：Objective To investigate the effects of Jiejin point blade needle release on pain,joint mobility,and inflammatory factor levels in patients with knee osteoarthritis(KOA),providing references for clinical treatment.Methods A total of 120 KOA patients treated at Pengzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2023 to December 2024 were enrolled and divided into control(n=58,simple blade needle therapy)and study(n=62,Jiejin point blade needle release)groups based on treatment modality.Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)syndrome scores before and after treatment were compared;Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)scores before treatment and at 2 weeks and 1 month after treatment were also compared.Levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3(MMP-3),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)before treatment and at 3 months after treatment were measured,and adverse reactions during treatment were recorded.Results Before treatment,no significant differences were observed in TCM syndrome scores between groups(P>0.05);after treat-ment,all TCM syndrome scores decreased in both groups versus pre-treatment,with significantly lower scores in the study group than in THE control group(P<0.05).Pre-treatment VAS scores showed no significant intergroup difference(P>0.05);at 2 weeks and 1 month post-treatment,VAS scores decreased in both groups versus pre-treatment,with lower scores in the study group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Pre-treatment knee range of motion,Ly-sholm Knee Scoring Scale(LKSS),and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC)scores showed no significant intergroup differences(P>0.05);post-treatment LKSS scores and knee range of motion increased while WOMAC scores decreased in both groups versus pre-treatment,with greater improvements in the study group than in controls,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Pre-treatment MMP-3,COX-2,and IL-1β levels showed no significant intergroup differences(P>0.05);post-treatment levels of all three inflammatory markers were sig-nificantly lower in the study group than in controls(P<0.05).No significant difference was observed in adverse reaction rates between groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Jiejin point blade needle release effectively alleviates pain,improves joint mobility,modulates inflammatory signaling pathways,and reduces inflammatory marker levels in KOA patients,with good safety profiles.Its efficacy surpasses that of simple blade needle therapy,offering a new treatment option for KOA.