Acupuncture Provides Short-Term Functional Improvements and Pain Relief for Patients After Knee Replacement Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving knee function and reducing pain at different recovery phases (short-term, intermediate-term, long-term) following knee replacement surgery.
Results Summary
Acupuncture showed significant short-term improvements in active range of motion (day 7, week 2) and reduced pain intensity at rest (12 hours, day 1, day 2, day 5, week 2) and during movement (day 1, day 7). Auricular acupuncture was ineffective, while conventional acupuncture with distal and local point selection was most effective.
Population
Patients recovering from knee replacement surgery.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Varied by recovery phase (short-term ≤2 weeks, intermediate-term 2 weeks-3 months, long-term >3 months)
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
acupuncture | increase | active range of motion | participants after knee replacement | - | Significant improvement | #1 |
acupuncture | decrease | pain intensity at rest | patients receiving acupuncture in short-term periods after operation | - | Lower pain intensity | #2 |
acupuncture | decrease | pain intensity during movement | patients after knee replacement | - | A reduction in pain intensity | #3 |
Auricular acupuncture | no change | range of motion and pain intensity | patients after knee replacement | - | did not show not significant effectiveness | #4 |
conventional acupuncture with combination of distal and local point selection | increase | function and pain | patients after knee replacement | - | found to be the most effective | #5 |
The impact of acupuncture on knee function and pain intensity following knee replacement remains controversial. Therefore, we categorized the postsurgery recovery period into 3 phases: short-term (≤2 weeks), intermediate-term (2 weeks-3 months), and long-term (>3 months), and then assessed the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving function and alleviating pain at different stages following knee replacement. This meta-analysis included randomized controlled trials that compared acupuncture intervention with either no treatment or a sham group after knee replacement. Six databases were searched from inception to December 31, 2023, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and 2 Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and WanFang Data). A total of 23 studies comprising 1,464 participants were included. Significant improvement of active range of motion was observed on day 7 and week 2 after operation. Lower pain intensity at rest was noted in patients receiving acupuncture in short-term periods after operation (12 hours, day 1, day 2, day 5, and week 2). A reduction in pain intensity during movement with acupuncture was observed on postoperative day 1 and day 7. Auricular acupuncture did not show not significant effectiveness in improving range of motion and pain intensity. For conventional acupuncture, the combination of distal and local point selection was found to be the most effective. Early application of acupuncture, in conjunction with physical therapy, starting before postoperative day 1 or day 2, was recommended. Further high-quality researches are warranted to validate the findings in this meta-analysis. PERSPECTIVE: This article demonstrates that acupuncture has short-term effects (≤2 weeks) on improving active range of motion and reducing pain during rest and during movement following knee replacement surgery. The findings support the early application of acupuncture in hospital settings after knee replacement. REGISTRATION ID: The study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024503479).