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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Physiol.
Sec. Skeletal Physiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1496425

Characterization of Rectus Femoris Lesions in Knee Osteoarthritis at Different Stages and the Effect of Ultrasound-guided Acupotomy

Provisionally accepted
Wenying Yu Wenying Yu 1,2Jing Liu Jing Liu 2,3*Zehao Lin Zehao Lin 1,2*Hong Liu Hong Liu 1,2,3*Liangzhi Zhang Liangzhi Zhang 1,2,3*Xianglong Feng Xianglong Feng 1,2*Zhongbiao Xiu Zhongbiao Xiu 2,3,4*
  • 1 Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
  • 2 The Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Fuzhou, China
  • 3 Fujian Clinical Research Center for Chronic Musculoskeletal Diseases via Integrative Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian Fuzhou, China
  • 4 Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Injury and Sports Rehabilitation, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, fujian fuzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is often associated with chronic damage to the rectus femoris muscle, which further accelerates KOA progression. Ultrasound-guided acupotomy provides dynamic visualization support for preoperative diagnosis, intraoperative guidance, and postoperative evaluation, and it has been established as a core technique in KOA treatment. However, the pathological characteristics of rectus femoris lesions at different stages of KOA remain uncharacterized, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of Ultrasound-guided acupotomy in alleviating rectus femoris damage and delaying KOA progression are unclear. In this study, a rabbit model of KOA at different stages was established. Ultrasound imaging was used to measure the elastic modulus and cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris, while ultrastructural changes and fibrosis levels were evaluated to systematically characterize the progression of rectus femoris lesions during KOA development. The results showed that as the disease progressed, the elastic modulus of the rectus femoris increased, its cross-sectional area decreased, and fibrosis severity worsened. Ultrasound-guided acupotomy demonstrated significant therapeutic effects on chronic rectus femoris damage, improving pathological changes and effectively delaying KOA progression. The underlying mechanism may involve reducing fibrosis and alleviating chronic damage to the rectus femoris, thereby preserving joint homeostasis.

    Keywords: evolutionary pattern, Fibrosis, Osteoarthritis, Rectus femoris, Ultrasound- guided acupotomy.

    Received: 14 Sep 2024; Accepted: 26 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Yu, Liu, Lin, Liu, Zhang, Feng and Xiu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Jing Liu, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Fuzhou, China
    Zehao Lin, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
    Hong Liu, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Fuzhou, China
    Liangzhi Zhang, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Fuzhou, China
    Xianglong Feng, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Fuzhou, China
    Zhongbiao Xiu, The Affiliated People's Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fujian Fuzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.