Baseline Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of the Dextrose and Normal Saline Injection Groupsa
| Characteristic | Total (n = 76) | DPT (n = 38) | NS (n = 38) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 63.2 (5.5) | 62.8 (5.8) | 63.7 (5.2) |
| Body mass index, No. (%) | 24.5 (3.3) | 24.0 (3.4) | 25.0 (3.3) |
| Normal (18.5–22.9) | 24 (31.6) | 15 (39.5) | 9 (23.7) |
| Underweight (<18.5) | 1 (1.3) | 1 (2.6) | 0 (0.0) |
| Overweight (23–24.9) | 16 (21.1) | 6 (15.8) | 10 (26.3) |
| Obese (≥25) | 35 (46.1) | 16 (42.1) | 19 (50.0) |
| Sex, No. (%) | |||
| Male | 22 (28.9) | 11 (28.9) | 11 (28.9) |
| Female | 54 (71.1) | 27 (71.1) | 27 (71.1) |
| Duration of knee pain, y | 8.9 (8.0) | 9.7 (9.8) | 8.2 (5.7) |
| Previous knee interventions, No. (%) | 48 (63.2) | 27 (71.1) | 21 (55.3) |
| Knee exercise | 6 (7.9) | 6 (15.8) | 0 (0.0) |
| Physiotherapy | 33 (43.4) | 17 (44.7) | 16 (42.1) |
| Traditional Chinese medicine | 28 (36.8) | 16 (42.1) | 12 (31.6) |
| Other | 4 (5.3) | 4 (10.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| OA knee pain intensity (VAS: 0–100) | 61.6 (20.2) | 63.1 (21.2) | 60.1 (19.2) |
| Kellgren-Lawrence grading, No. (%) | |||
| 0 - Normal or 1 - Doubtful JSN and possible osteophytic lipping | 13 (17.1) | 8 (21.1) | 5 (13.2) |
| 2 - Definite osteophytes and possible JSN on anteroposterior weight-bearing radiograph | 28 (36.8) | 12 (31.6) | 16 (42.1) |
| 3 - Multiple osteophytes, definite JSN, sclerosis, possible bony deformity | 29 (38.2) | 16 (42.1) | 13 (34.2) |
| 4 - Large osteophytes, marked JSN, severe sclerosis and definite bony deformity | 6 (7.9) | 2 (5.3) | 4 (10.5) |
| IPAQ (Met), median (IQR) | 2,620 (2,779) | 2,991 (2,626) | 2,333 (2,066) |
| Inactive, No. (%) | 4 (5.3) | 1 (2.6) | 3 (7.9) |
| Minimally active, No. (%) | 40 (52.6) | 16 (42.1) | 24 (63.2) |
| Undertakes HEPA, No. (%) | 32 (42.1) | 21 (55.3) | 11 (28.9) |
| WOMAC (pain) | 47.0 (21.9) | 49.9 (23.1) | 44.0 (20.4) |
| WOMAC (stiffness) | 47.4 (26.5) | 48.0 (26.3) | 46.8 (27.0) |
| WOMAC (function) | 47.5 (21.9) | 49.0 (21.8) | 45.9 (22.1) |
| WOMAC (composite) | 47.4 (21.4) | 49.1 (21.8) | 45.6 (21.2) |
| Timed up and go | 12.6 (5.8) | 12.6 (7.1) | 12.5 (4.3) |
| 30-second chair stand | 8.5 (2.8) | 8.6 (2.6) | 8.5 (3.0) |
| 40-m fast-paced walk | 42.4 (13.7) | 42.1 (12.9) | 42.7 (14.6) |
| EuroQol-5D VAS | 67.7 (15.6) | 70.1 (13.5) | 65.3 (17.3) |
| EuroQol-5D index score | 0.564 (0.305) | 0.569 (0.295) | 0.558 (0.318) |
DPT = dextrose prolotherapy; HEPA = health-enhancing physical activity; IPAQ = International Physical Activity Questionnaire; IQR = interquartile range; JSN = joint space narrowing; Met = metabolic equivalent; NS = normal saline; OA = osteoarthritis; SD = standard deviation; VAS = visual analogue scale; WOMAC = Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index.
↵a The data are shown as the mean (SD) unless otherwise indicated.