AIM: To observe the curative effect of chondromalacia patellae (CP) patients treated by acupuncture with warmed needle combining with muscle strength training, and compare with oral administration of non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) combined with training. METHODS: (1) A total of 64 CP patients were enrolled from Department of Pain Management, Chengdu Number 1 People's Hospital from September 2004 to June 2006. They were all diagnosed as CP complying with the 'TCM diagnostic efficacy standards' of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1994. All patients signed the informed consent and were divided into acupuncture group (n = 34) and control group (n = 30) by random number table method. There were no significant differences in age, sex, disease severity and course between the two groups (p > 0.05). (2) The acupuncture group was treated with warmed needle once a day, 5 days a treatment, 2 days rest after one treatment and altogether 4 courses of treatment. The main points: Neixiyan (EX-LE4), Waixiyan (EX-LE5), Heding (EX-LE2). The minor points: adding Futu (LI18) for pain of thigh; adding Xuehai (SF10) for pain in the medial side of the knee; adding Liangqiu (ST34) for pain in the lateral side of the knee; adding Fenglong (ST40) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) for the sputum and wet stagnation; adding Taixi (KI3) for the deficiency of kidney and liver ying. While control group orally took the NSAIDS Meloxicam (Sichuan Sanjing Shenghe Pharmaceutical Ltd product batches 060701) 7.5 mg a day, for the same treatment course as acupuncture group. (3) Each patient did strength training after acupuncture or taking medicine everyday, including musculus quadriceps fexoris isometric contraction training, bend standing training, musculus vastus medialis strength training. And each items repeated 10 times as a group, 5 groups every time, 3 times a day. We indicated degree of pain by pain score, arranged from 0 to 10 points. The higher score showed the more severe pain. CP curative effect standardization: recovery: no pain of knee, no complaint of activity, patella grinding test was negative; improved: light pain while stair activity and bend standing, patella grinding test was probably positive. nulli-recovery: no improvement of symptom, aggravation of weakness of the knees and pseudo-interlocking. X-ray examination indicated spurring around the patellae and infer-cartilage. RESULTS: Totally 64 CP patients were analyzed in the result. (1) Comparison of the pain improvement after the treatment in two groups: After treatment, the pain scores of the two groups were significantly decreased (8.0 +/- 1.0, 5.0 +/- 2.7; 8.0 +/- 3.0, 3.0 +/- 2.0; p < 0.05, 0.01); compared with the control group, acupuncture group had a much more significantly decrease of the pain score after treatment (p < 0.05). (2) Comparison of the clinical efficacy in two group: The total efficacy of acupuncture group was significantly higher than that of the control group (91.2%, 50.0%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture with warmed needle combining with muscle strength training and oral administration of NSAIDS can both relieve pain, but acupuncture with warmed needle combining with muscle strength training has a better effect in relieving pain and improving curative efficacy.

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