Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treating knee osteoarthritis. Methods Ninety patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into acupuncture group and placebo acupuncture group

45 patients in each group. The researchers used acupuncture needles to acupuncture Dubi（ ST35）

Neixiyan（ EX-LE4）

Xuehai（ SP10）

Liangxiu（ ST34）

Heding（ EX-LE2）

Yanglingquan（ GB34）

Yinlingquan（ SP9）

Ququan（ LR8）

Xiyangguan（ GB33） and ashi points in the affected side in the acupuncture group

and also treated the same points with placebo acupuncture in the placebo acupuncture group. Both groups were treated for 5 days followed by 2 days rest

totally for 4 weeks continuously. Before treatment

at the end of the 2nd and the 4th week in the treatment

the researchers gave a mark according to the Western Ontario and Mc Master Universities Arthritis Index（ WOMAC）. Before treatment and at the end of the 4th week

the researchers evaluated knee-joint function and quality of life in both groups according to the WHO Quality of Life-BREF scale（ WHOQOL-BREF scale） and recorded untoward effects in the process of treatment. Results After treatment for 2 weeks and 4 weeks

WOMAC scores in the two groups were lower than those before treatment（ P < 0. 05）. At the two time points after treatment WOMAC scores in the acupuncture group were much lower than those in the placebo acupuncture group（ P < 0. 05）. After treatment for 4 weeks

compared with before treatment

subjective feeling for health condition and scores of physiology field in the acupuncture group were higher than those before treatment（ P < 0. 05）; before and after treatment

each dimension in the placebo acupuncture group had no statistical difference to compare（ P > 0. 05）. After treatment for 4weeks

subjective feeling about quality of life and health condition and scores of physiology field in the acupuncture group were higher than those in the placebo acupuncture group（ P < 0. 05）. In the acupunture group

4 cases and 5times of subcutaneous hematoma were calculated into adverse effect

while

no adverse effect was recored in the placebo acuputure group. Conclusion Acupuncture may improve knee-joint function and quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis.