[Effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of pain from osteoarthritis of the knee].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in controlling pain from arthritis of the knee.


METHODS
Systematic review.


METHODS
MedLine, the Cochrane Library.


METHODS
Of the 9 studies located, only 4 met the inclusion criteria. All were controlled, randomized clinical trials that studied the effect of acupuncture only in the knee joint.


METHODS
Primary outcome variables were intensity of pain, overall measure (general improvement, proportion of patients who recovered, subjective improvement in symptoms) and functional status. As secondary outcome measures we used objective physiological measures (range of knee movement, muscle strength, time needed to walk a certain distance, time needed to climb a certain number of stairs), general health status, and other information such as medication needed and side effects.


RESULTS
There was moderately strong evidence that acupuncture was more effective in treating knee joint pain than no treatment. The difference can be explained by its marked placebo effect.


CONCLUSIONS
There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend acupuncture as a treatment for pain from osteoarthritis of the knee. Additional, better designed studies are needed to determine the actual role of acupuncture in this disease.
Ferrández Infante
A
A
Centro de Salud Montesa. Madrid. España. antonioferrandez@hotmail.com
García Olmos
L
L
González Gamarra
A
A
Meis Meis
M J
MJ
Sánchez Rodríguez
B M
BM
D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome