The authors discuss the disease and syndrome characteristics of knee osteoarthritis in different historical periods based on symptom descriptions

as well as by analysis of the causes

pathogenesis

prescriptions

herbs and medical records in past Chinese medical books and records of knee osteoarthritis related to Chinese medical disease names

such as knee-Bi（膝痹）

arthrosis like crane knee（鹤膝风）

white tiger joint running（白虎风）

long term cold leg（老寒腿）

joint running（历节风）

transosteal deep multiple abscess（穿骨流注）

Kaschin-Beck disease（柳拐子病）

bone consumption（骨痨）

flowing phlegm（流痰） and chronic carbuncle（缓疽）. Then

the authors identify the Chinese medicine disease names

symptoms

causes

pathogenesis

principle-method-recipemedicines of knee osteoarthritis to provide reference for further study of traditional theories and effective methods of Chinese medicine preventing and treating knee osteoarthritis.