Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous acupotomy combined with selective nerve root block (SNRB) in the treatment of degenerative spine and joint diseases. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted, enrolling 360 patients with degenerative spine and joint diseases admitted to three hospitals between January 2022 and December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to an observation group (n=180, acupotomy + SNRB) or a control group (n=180, SNRB alone). Disease types included cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR, n=90), lumbar disc herniation (LDH, n=120), degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS, n=60), and knee osteoarthritis (KOA, n=90). Visual analog scale (VAS) scores, oswestry disability index (ODI) or Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA) or western ontario and mcmaster universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores, modified Macnab efficacy ratings, adverse events, and serum interleukin‑6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor‑alpha (TNF)-α concentrations were assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. Results: At 6 months post-treatment, the observation group showed a significantly lower VAS score than the control group [(2.11±0.91) vs. (3.89±1.18), p<0.001], and superior functional scale scores (all p<0.05). The observation group achieved a total effective rate of 92.22% and an excellent or good rate of 78.89%, compared with 76.67% and 56.11% in the control group (both p<0.001). The observation group demonstrated greater reductions IL-6 and TNF-α than the control group (p<0.05). The adverse reaction rate was 5.56% in the observation group and 4.44% in the control group, with no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) and no serious adverse events. Conclusion: Percutaneous acupotomy combined with selective nerve root block is effective in the treatment of degenerative spine and joint diseases, capable of significantly alleviating pain, improving function, and maintaining a favorable safety profile.
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Zhou, H. (2026) Percutaneous Acupotomy Combined with Selective Nerve Root Block in the Treatment of Degenerative Spine and Joint Diseases: A Multicenter Clinical Application and Safety Evaluation. Journal of Disease and Public Health, 2(2), 28-33. https://doi.org/10.71052/jdph/GPIP9954