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BACKGROUND: Salvia injection and needle-knife therapy are commonly used techniques in the treatment of osteoarthritis in clinical practice. At present, there is no research on the combination of the two methods. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of needle-knife therapy and salvia injection and their combinations in the treatment of osteoarthritis in rabbit models. METHODS: The study was approved by the Laboratory Animal Ethical Committee of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine. Fifty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into five groups: blank control, model, saivia injection, needle-knife, and combination groups. The rat models of osteoarthritis were established in all groups except for blank control group. After successful modeling, medial and lateral patellar retinaculums, medial and lateral knee eyes, suprapatellar bursa, muscle belly of each quadriceps femoris, muscle belly and ending point of gracilis, muscle belly and ending point of adductor and area surrounding the tibial plateau of rats in the needle-knife group received needle-knife release. The rabbits in the blank control and model groups underwent the intra-articular injection of nonnal saline (0.3 ml). The rabbits in the salvia injection group were given the intra-articular injection of salvia (0.3 mL). The rabbits in the combination group received needle-knife release, followed by intra-articular injection of salvia (0.3 mL). All interventions were conducted weekly, for 5 consecutive weeks. The knee articular cartilage underwent gross observation and histological observation. The levels of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in synovial fluid were detected by ELISA. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Gross observation: the worn artificial knee in the model group was serious, and was slight in the salvia injection, needle-knife, and combination groups. (2) Pathological scores: the scores in the salvia injection group were slightly higher than those in the needle-knife and combination groups. (3) ELISA results: the levels of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the combination group were significantly lower than those in the salvia injection and needle-knife groups (P < 0.05). (4) In summary, needle-knife therapy combined with intra-articular injection of salvia is superior to needle-knife therapy alone or intra-articular injection of salvia in reducing the levels of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rabbit models of osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]