Abstract: Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common causes of chronic pain and disability. In addition, many studies have shown that laser acupuncture (LA) has a great analgesic effect and minimal side effects. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LA combined with knee exercises (KE) in patients with KOA.

Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted on 60 patients with KOA at Le Van Thinh Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City from May 2021 to September 2022. Patients were randomly allocated to LA group (n = 30) with KE combined LA or the therapeutic ultrasound (TU) group (n = 30) with KE combined with TU in 4 weeks. The outcome measurements were visual analog scale (VAS) scores and knee range of motion (ROM). The data were collected at 5 time points: T0 (baseline) and after every week of treatment.

Results: After a 4-week treatment, the VAS score of patients in LA groups decreased from 6(5-6) to 3 cm (2-4) (p < 0.01) but was not significantly different when compared to patients in TU groups. In contrast, there is an improvement in the ROM score of patients, from 132.5 (130 – 140) to 140 (140 – 140) with the KOA, and has significantly different when compared to patients in TU groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: LA combined with KE exhibited equivalent analgesic effects and increased knee ROM in patients KOA after 2, 3, and 4-week treatment.

Introduction: Hepatitis B infection has become a social burden in over the world due to its high prevalence, while the treatments still do not offer the desired effects. Literature showed that combining traditional medicine with modern drugs was able to inhibit the proliferation of the hepatitis B virus, thus making it an effective treatment. To compare the efficacy of Tenofovir monotherapy versus Tenofovir and Phyllanthus Amari combination therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Materials and methods: Randomized controlled clinical trial on 200 chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg (+); divided into 2 groups: The combination therapy group used Phyllanthus Amari product and Tenofovir for treatment and the monotherapy group with Tenofovir.

Results: The serological, biological, and virological responses in the combination therapy group were earlier than those in the monotherapy group. Statistically significant differences in serological responses between the combination therapy versus monotherapy group were achieved from the 3rd (59% versus 33%, p=0.021) to the 18th month (99% versus 91%, p=0.029). Statistically significant differences in biochemical responses between the combination therapy versus monotherapy group were achieved from the 9th (12% versus 1%, p=0.003) to the 18th month (35% versus 21%, p=0.040). Statistically significant differences in virological response between the combination therapy versus monotherapy group were achieved from the 6th (23% versus 10%, p=0.021) to the 18th month (97% versus 88%, p=0.029).

Conclusion: The combination of Tenofovir and the Phyllanthus Amari product is more effective than using only Tenofovir for treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients with HBeAg-positive.