Objective To observe the clinical effect of moxibustion of different acupoints undergoing heat-sensitive state and resting state in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)patients.Methods A total of 60cases of KOA patients were enrolled in the present trial.They were divided into heat-sensitive moxibustion(heat-sensitive)group and non-sensitive moxibustion group(resting group).Moxibustion was applied to Neixiyan(EX-LE 4)

Waixiyan(i.e.Dubi

ST 35)and Heding(EX-LE 2)for about 45min

once daily for 20days.The heat-sensitive state was evaluated according to the patient's feeling.After moxibustion stimulation at the acupoint area

if the patient feels the heat penetrating from the skin surface to the deep tissue

or/and extending peripherally around the moxibustion site

or/and transmitting toward a certain direction

it is considered to be heat sensitization state.The therapeutic effect was evaluated by using visual analogue scale(VAS)for pain severity changes and by Guiding Principles for Clinical Trials of New Drugs of Chinese Materia Medica for evaluating functional activity of the knee-joint.Results After 20sessions of treatment and after a half year's follow-up

the total integrated scores of VAS in the heat-sensitive group were all lower than those of the resting group(P<0.01).Following 20sessions of treatment

of the two 30KOA patients in the heat-sensitive group and resting group

14(46.67%)and 5(16.67%)experienceda marked improvement

10(33.33%)and 9(30.00%) were effective

6(20.00%)and 16(53.33%)were invalid

with the effective rates being 80.00% and 46.67%

respectively. Half-year's follow-up showed that the effective rates of the heat-sensitive group and resting group were 79.17%(19/24)and 42.86%(6/14)

respectively

suggesting a better therapeutic effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion.Conclusion The clinical effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion is significantly superior to that of non-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of KOA patients

being worthy of clinical application.