To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with electroacupuncture in the treatment of early to mid-stage osteoarthritis of the knee based on the theory of 'Shaoyang Governing the Bone'.

A total of 102 patients with early to mid-stage knee osteoarthritis (KOA) admitted to Sichuan Orthopedic Hospital from August 2022 to August 2024 were enrolled and randomly assigned to the observation group (n = 50) or the control group (n = 52). All patients received basic treatment and specific exercise training. In the control group, early-stage patients were treated with meloxicam tablets and glucosamine hydrochloride capsules, while mid-stage patients additionally received intra-articular sodium hyaluronate injection. On the basis of the control regimen, patients in the observation group underwent acupuncture treatment guided by the "Shaoyang governing bone" theory combined with electroacupuncture using a sparse-dense wave. Both groups were treated for three courses, with each course lasting two weeks. Observe the changes of clinical efficacy, SF-36 health survey scale score, TCM symptom score, WOMAC and VAS scale score, β-collagen degradation product (β-CTX) and 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) level in the two groups.

After three courses of treatment, the total efficacy rate of 98. 00% in the observation group was significantly higher than that of 84.62% in the control group (P <0.05), the scores of the eight dimensions of SF-36 scale were significantly improved (P <0.05), the TCM symptom scores, the scores of WOMAC and VAS scales were significantly reduced (P <0.05), the level of β-CTX was significantly reduced (P <0.05) and 25-OH-VD levels were significantly higher (P <0.05), and the improvement of all indicators was more obvious in the observation group (P < 0.05). In addition, there were 3 cases of adverse reactions in the observation group and 4 cases in the control group, indicating that this study has a better safety profile.

Based on the theory that "Shaoyang governing the bones," the therapeutic approach combining the method of regulating qi, activating blood circulation, and tonifying the kidney with electroacupuncture has shown good clinical efficacy in the treatment of early- and middle-stage knee osteoarthritis. It can significantly improve patients' quality of life, relieve pain, regulate bone metabolism to reduce bone loss, slow down joint degeneration, enhance bone health, and thereby improve knee joint function.