Arthroscopic osteochondral autografts with wenyang yisui recipe for repairing cartilage lesions of the knee / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Wenyang Yisui Recipe is developed based on Yougui Pills according to many years of clinical practice. The clinical application of Wenyang Yisui Recipe in the treatment of early knee osteoarthritis as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment has achieved favorable clinical effect. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of Wenyang Yisui Recipe combined with arthroscopic osteochondral autografts in the treatment of cartilage lesions of the knee. METHODS: Eighty-three patients under arthroscopic osteochondral autografts for cartilage lesions of the knee were enrolled, including 49 males and 34 females, aged 40 to 67 years old, with an average of (50.2±4.8) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 27 months, with an average of (12.3±5.2) months. According to the Doll’s method, all the patients were divided into study group and control group. The patients in the study group received arthroscopic osteochondral autografts, followed by oral Wenyang Yisui Recipe, 300 mL per day in two divided doses, beginning at 2 days postoperatively for 2 continuous weeks as a session, three sessions in total. The control group only undertook arthroscopic osteochondral autografts. The Lysholm score and visual analogue scale score were used for assessing the knee function and pain, respectively, before surgery and 3 months after surgery. The study protocol was implemented in line with the relevant ethical requirements of Wang Jing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in February 2014 (approval No. 221). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All patients were followed up for 3 months after surgery. The study group was superior to the control group in the improvement of knee joint pain and swelling score at 3 months after surgery, and the intergroup difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The visual analogue scale score was significantly better in the study group than the control group at 3 months after surgery (P < 0.001). The visual analogue scale scores in the two groups were both improved at 3 months after surgery (P < 0.001). Therefore, arthroscopic osteochondral autografts combined with oral Wenyang Yisui Recipe can significantly ameliorate knee pain and function, with definite clinical effects.