Therapeutic effects of Xianlinggubao capsules on knee function, inflammatory response, and bone metabolism in elderly patients with degenerative knee osteoarthritis

Background KOA is a common degenerative joint disease that often causes chronic pain, impairs daily activities, and imposes a considerable burden on patients.Aim This research aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of XLGB capsules in improving knee joint function and regulating bone metabolism in patients with degenerative knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Subject and methods We randomised 100 elderly KOA patients into control (received Celecoxib treatment) and observation (received Celecoxib + XLGB treatment) groups, with 50 patients each. Outcome measures included inflammatory markers (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α), bone metabolism indicators (BGP, OPG, BALP, CTX-I), pain mediators (5-HT, SP, PGE2), Lysholm Knee Score, WOMAC score, VAS score, overall efficacy, and adverse reactions.Results After treatment, compared to the control group, the observation group showed lower serum levels of IL-1, TNF-α, IL-6, CTX-I, 5-HT, SP, and PGE2, lower VAS and WOMAC scores, higher serum levels of BGP, OPG, BALP, higher Lysholm scores, and higher overall effective rate (all p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups was noted during treatment (p > 0.05).Conclusion XLGB capsules are effective and safe for managing degenerative KOA, offering benefits in alleviating inflammation and pain, improving bone metabolism, and enhancing knee joint function.