To explore the clinical efficacy of modern rehabilitation techniques combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) external application in the treatment of knee stiffness.

Prospective cohort study. A total of 80 patients with knee stiffness meeting the entry criteria admitted to the People's Hospital of Bozhou from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected and divided into the observation group (n=40) and the control group (n=40) according to the random ball touching method. Both groups were given routine physiotherapy. The control group was treated with TCM external application on the basis of the physiotherapy, and the observation was treated with modern rehabilitation techniques on the basis of the treatment of the control group. The goniometer was used to measure the knee flexion and extension before and after treatment, and the VAS scale was used to assess the knee pain. Fug l-Meyer motor function score was used to evaluate lower extremity motor function.

After treatment, the knee flexion [(96.43 ± 4.63) ° vs. (89.58 ± 4.67) °, t=6.59] in the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.01), and the extension [(8.32 ± 2.03) ° vs. (11.69 ± 2.37) °, t=6.83] in the control group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.01); VAS score (2.06 ± 0.49 vs. 3.65 ± 0.76, t=11.12) was lower than that of the control group (P<0.01), and Fugl Meyer motor function score (28.97 ± 3.76 vs. 20.43 ± 3.04, t=11.17) was higher than that of the control group (P<0.01).

The application of modern rehabilitation techniques combined with TCM external application in the treatment of knee stiffness can improve the range of motion of the knee joint, reduce the VAS score of pain, and improve the motor function.

Rehabilitation of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Muscle tendon relaxing reduction; Plastering therapy; Stiff knee joints