Demographic and baseline characteristics of the participants.
| LM, n = 201 | Sham, n = 191 | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) | 63.5 (7.67) | 63.1 (6.0) |
| Women, n (%) | 153 (76.1) | 141 (73.8) |
| Affected knees, n (%) | ||
| 1 knee | 89 (44.3) | 96 (50.3) |
| Both knees | 112 (55.7) | 95 (49.7) |
| Length of knee OA, yrs, n (%) | ||
| < 1 | 39 (19.4) | 39 (20.4) |
| 1–5 | 96 (47.8) | 82 (42.9) |
| 5–10 | 44 (21.9) | 47 (24.6) |
| > 10 | 22 (10.9) | 23 (12) |
| Kellgren-Lawrence grade, n (%) | ||
| 1 | 33 (16.4) | 34 (17.1) |
| 2 | 122 (60.7) | 118 (61.8) |
| 3 | 43 (21.4) | 35 (18.3) |
| 4 | 3 (1.5) | 4 (2.1) |
| BMI, mean (SD)a | 24.7 (3.6) | 24. 6 (3.2) |
| Medication use, n (%) | ||
| No medication | 159 (79.1) | 164 (85) |
| Glucosamine products | 33 (16.4) | 20 (10.4) |
| NSAIDs | 2 (1) | 0 (0) |
| TCM patent prescription | 10 (4.8) | 3 (1.6) |
| Calcium tablets | 3 (1.4) | 0 (0) |
| Analgesics | 0 (0) | 4 (2.1) |
| Alpha ossification alcohol | 2 (1) | 1 (0.5) |
| COX-2 inhibitors | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.5) |
| WOMAC | ||
| Pain score, mean (SD)b | 6.6 (3.5) | 6.7 (3.7) |
| Function score, mean (SD)c | 33.7 ± 19.7 | 32.6 ± 19.1 |
| Stiffness score, median (Q1, Q3)d | 6.8 (2.4, 10.0) | 6.0 (2.0, 10.0) |
| VAS, median (Q1, Q3) | 57.5 (50.0, 69.8) | 56.0 (50.0, 71.5) |
There were no differences between the groups in WOMAC and VAS scores at baseline (P > 0.05).
↵aCalculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
↵bRange 0–20.
↵cRange 0–68.
↵dRange 0–10. COX-2: cyclooxygenase-2; LM: laser moxibustion; NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug; OA: osteoarthritis; TCM: traditional Chinese medicine; VAS: visual analog scale; WOMAC: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index.