Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 1998; 3: 190
To examine the efficacy and safety of homeopathic Arnica 30DH after knee surgery.
Age 18–75; indication for either knee arthroscopy, or implantation of artificial knee joints, or cruciate ligaments of the knee; free of swollen knees and any severe organic or systemic diseases.
3 (each indication) randomised double-blind placebocontrolled sequential monocenter trials
Change of knee circumference from pre-operative to post-operative day 1 (arthroscopy) or day 2 (both other indications).
1 × 5 pills (arnica or placebo) preoperative, 3 × 5 pills each subsequent day.
227, 35, and 57 patients were included into the trials. Verum and placebo groups were comparable according to age, sex, severity of disease, preoperative knee circumference, and perioperative events. Arnica was significantly able to reduce knee swelling after cruciate ligaments surgery (one-sided triangle test, standardised effect 0.66, 95%-CI: 0.11 to 1.21, p = 0.019) but not after arthroscopy (effect 0.11, CI: –0.18 to 0.37, p = 0.184) nor after artificial knee joint implantation (effect 0.48, CI: –0.22 to 1.21, p = 0.184). All three studies showed a tendency to reduce knee swelling in favour of verum.
Arnica can influence the wound healing after knee surgery even when used in homeopathic doses. Estimated effects are small after arthroscopies but clinically relevant after artifical knee joint implantation and cruciate ligaments surgery
