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Objectives : This study was performed to review the efficacy of national and international randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating evidence on thread embedding therapy for knee osteoarthritis. Methods : Online databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, NDSL, OASIS, CNKI) were searched for studies where thread embedding therapy was performed for Knee Osteoarthritis from their inception to July 2018. Two researchers independently performed the search. Only RCTs were selected. Eligible studies were selected first by the abstract and the title and then included after full-texts were read. Risk of bias of the included studies were evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Data were narratively summarized. Results : There were 334 studies retrieved from the databases, resulting in analysis of 3 RCTs. There was an average of 1.5 treatment visits over a 7 day period and evaluation tool used was efficacy rate, with traditional acupuncture being the most common control used in the trials. Statistically significant improvement by thread embedding therapy was reported. None of the included RCTs reported on adverse reactions. The risk of bias of the included studies was generally unclear. Conclusion : The review suggests that thread embedding therapy can be effective in knee osteoarthritis. But there was a lack of detailed information about the treatment procedures, and the risk of bias was unclear. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence for thread embedding therapy for knee osteoarthritis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evidence supporting the effectiveness of moxibustion treatment for osteoarthritis. There were 9 databases used to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used moxibustion as treatment for osteoarthritis. The quality of methodology for the RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool [Review Manager (RevMan) Version 5.3 Windows, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark]. The inclusion criteria for this review was met by 27 RCTs. All studies were conducted in China. A 4-week moxibustion treatment period was the most common. EX-LE4 and SP10 and GB34 acupoints were most frequently selected in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The most commonly used evaluation index was the visual analog scale (VAS). All studies, including a meta-analysis showed that moxibustion treatments were statistically significantly effective at treating knee osteoarthritis. However, welldesigned randomized RCTs without a high risk of bias should be designed in the future.

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