Chinese herbal medicine Yanghe decoction for knee osteoarthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely used to treat knee osteoarthritis (KOA), among which Yanghe decoction (YHD) is one of the commonly used prescriptions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of YHD in the treatment of KOA. METHODS: Six databases, including Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database and Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database will be searched from their inception to July 2020. Two researchers will independently select studies, collect data and evaluate the quality of included studies. Statistical analysis will be processed by RevMan V.5.3 software. RESULTS: This study will provide an assessment of the current state of YHD in the treatment of KOA, aiming to show the efficacy and safety of YHD. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence to judge whether YHD is an effective intervention for KOA.