Local Signs Research Articles

Enhancing sign language recognition and accessibility for the deaf community in China

This paper explores the critical role of sign language in enabling communication and social inclusion for the deaf community in China, where approximately 27.8 million individuals experience hearing impairments. Despite the recognition of linguistic human rights, Chinese law lacks formal acknowledgment of sign language, leading to fragmented regulations and insufficient support. The study highlights deficiencies in existing legislation and proposes recommendations for enhancing legal frameworks to protect and promote the rights of deaf individuals. Additionally, the paper examines the disparities between local and national sign languages and underscores the potential of technological advancements, such as sign language translation gloves, in bridging communication gaps and fostering social integration.

Spatial structuring of coral traits along a subtropical-temperate transition zone persists despite localised signs of tropicalisation

AbstractClimate-driven species range expansions are underway with more tropically affiliated species, including Scleractinian corals, becoming increasingly abundant at higher latitudes. However, uncertainty remains on how these range shifts will affect reef-scale ecosystem processes, which will ultimately depend on the traits of the taxa that dominate these assemblages. Here, we quantified spatiotemporal patterns in the taxonomic and trait structure of coral assemblages along the subtropical-temperate coast of Western Australia (27°–34°S). Coral abundance was generally low and coral cover < 5% across our study sites. Coral assemblages shared similarities in morphological trait structures across the latitudinal gradient, mostly characterised by taxa with simple morphologies; yet subtle differences were also observed across latitudes, with high-latitude corals characterised by slower growth rates and reduced maximum colony sizes. We found a 3.4-fold increase (from 1 to 3.4 individuals m−2) in coral abundance at one heavily disturbed location, where canopy-forming seaweeds were replaced by turfing algae, a pattern that was partly driven by an increase in the relative contribution of warm affinity taxa, such as Acropora spp. We predicted these changes would be reflected in different components of functional diversity; yet, despite a localised signal of tropicalisation, we only observed subtle changes in the functional identity, richness, evenness, and divergence. The spatially invariant trait structure of coral assemblages suggests that the nature of ecosystem functions will likely remain unchanged during early stages of tropicalisation, and hence their contribution to temperate reef-scale ecological processes will depend on dominance over other benthic foundational species.

Local sign changes of polynomials

Local sign changes of polynomials

Localized Administration of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes for the Treatment of Refractory Perianal Fistula in Crohn's Disease Patients: A Phase II Clinical Trial.

Crohn's disease perianal fistulae are often resistant to standard anti-TNF-α therapies. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes are extracellular vesicles that have highly potent anti-inflammatory effects, and the previous phase of this study demonstrated their safety in the treatment of refractory perianal fistulas. To evaluate the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes for the treatment of refractory perianal fistulas. Nonrandomized, nonblinded single-center phase II clinical trial. Tertiary university hospital. Twenty-three patients were enrolled, 20 of whom completed the study. Refractory perianal fistula was defined as resistance to at least one course of treatment with anti-tumor necrosis facto-α therapy. After clinical assessment and magnetic resonance imaging, the patients were subjected to general anesthesia, and 5 mL of exosome solution was injected directly into the fistula tracts. The injections were repeated three times at 2-month intervals, and patients were followed monthly for 6 months after the last injection. Tissue samples from the tracts were obtained before each injection and subjected to immunohistopathological assessment. MRI data were obtained before and six months after the last injection. The primary outcome of this study was fistula tract closure on clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging. The secondary outcome was an improvement in the discharge from the tracts. Fistula tracts were fully closed in 12 (60%) of the patients. Four patients showed clinical improvement, with some tracts remaining open, and four patients were completely resistant to treatment. A total of 43 fistula tracts were treated during the trial, 30 (69.7%) of which showed complete closure. Histopathological analysis revealed substantial reductions in local inflammation and signs of enhanced tissue regeneration. Immunohistochemical analysis of cluster of differentiation-68, 20 and 31 reaffirmed these results. MSC-derived exosomes are safe and effective for treating refractory perianal fistulas in patients with Crohn's disease. See Video Abstract.

52765 Lack of correlation between number of baseline actinic keratoses (AKs) and local tolerability signs (LTS) severity in patients treated with tirbanibulin over a 100 cm2 area: results from a Phase 3 study

52765 Lack of correlation between number of baseline actinic keratoses (AKs) and local tolerability signs (LTS) severity in patients treated with tirbanibulin over a 100 cm2 area: results from a Phase 3 study

Application of a xenopericardial plate for closing a laparostomy in conditions of a purulent-inflammatory process

The aim of the study is to study the morphological changes in tissue in the laparostomy area when it is closed with a xenopericardial plate under conditions of an active purulent-inflammatory process. Material and methods. Analysis of data from patients at the Penza regional clinical hospital named after. N.N. Burdenko, with diseases of the abdominal organs, complicated by diffuse purulent peritonitis. During treatment, xenopericardial plates with perforations in a checkerboard pattern were used (hole diameter 0.5 cm). Disinfection of the material was carried out with a sterile solution of furacilin. Using the standard hematoxylin and eosin staining protocol, as well as alternative staining methods according to Van Gieson and Weigert, light-optical examination of stained sections was carried out at a magnification of 40–400 times. Results. In 8 out of 9 patients participating in the study, a favorable course of the inflammatory process was observed; on the 21st day after laparotomy, the symptoms of peritonitis were eliminated, the surgical wound was sutured. In one case, progression of local and general signs of peritonitis was observed within two weeks. After replacing the xenopericardial plate, the course of changes in the surgical wound was favorable. On day 21, the laparotomy wound was also sutured. Repeated examination of the biomaterial one year and two months after implantation of the xenopericardial plate into the anterior abdominal wall did not reveal signs of inflammation. Conclusions. The xenopericardium performed well in conditions of purulent inflammation and in most cases was not subject to melting. In the long term, biointegration of the xenopericardium into its own connective tissue occurred.

Comparative evaluation of local and downstream responses in two commercially available paclitaxel-coated balloons in healthy peripheral arteries of a swine model

ObjectiveTo investigate the local, downstream, and systemic effects of 2 different paclitaxel-coated balloons. DesignPreclinical study in healthy peripheral arteries of a swine model, with randomized allocation of the distribution of the devices: the test paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) (LuminorⓇ), a control PCB (IN.PACTⓇ), and a plain angioplasty balloon (OceanusⓇ), considering single (1×) and overlapping (3×) doses with simple blind histologic analysis. MethodsTwenty animals underwent balloon angioplasty at 1× or 3× doses in the external and internal branches of both femoral arteries and were followed-up for 28 days. Postprocedural and follow-up angiography were carried out. Comprehensive necropsy and histology were used to evaluate the local, downstream and systemic effects. ResultsAngioplasty was successfully carried out in all animals. Significant protocol deviations appeared in 3 arteries (treated with Oceanus®) without clinical relevance. Those samples were excluded from the analysis. All the animals survived the follow-up period without major clinical issues. Local signs of drug toxicity were less marked with Luminor® than IN.PACT® at 1× dose, including endothelial loss (P = .0828), intima/media inflammation (P = .0004), transmural medial smooth muscle cell (SMC) loss (P = .0016), wall thickness loss (P = .0141), presence of fibrin in the vascular wall (P = .0054), and adventitial inflammation (P = .0080). A similar pattern was observed at the 3× dose for endothelial loss (P = .0011), intima/media inflammation (P < .0001), circumferential SMC loss (P = .0004), medial SMC replacement with proteoglycans (P = .0014), fibrin (P = .0034), and collagen content (P = .0205). Downstream vascular histologic changes were mild although more prevalent in the IN.PACT® 3× group (P = .006). No systemic effects of toxicity were detected in any of the samples analyzed. ConclusionLuminor® showed better healing pattern (lower inflammation, and endothelial and muscular loss) than IN.PACT® balloon. The effect was evident at single and triple doses. The prevalence of downstream lesions, albeit low, was higher with the triple dose of IN.PACT® compared with Luminor®.

First report of retroperitoneal rhabdomyosarcoma treated with space-making particle therapy for preservation of renal function.

Space-making particle therapy, which consists of surgical placement of a spacer followed by particle therapy, has become a solution to the problem of normal organs being exposed to a high radiation dose. A bioabsorbable spacer is particularly suitable for this purpose, but is not widely used. Surgical placement of a spacer is performed mostly to protect the digestive tract, but can also be used to protect the kidneys. Therefore, we have been interested in the use of space-making particle therapy to preserve renal function. A 14month-old boy with intermediate-risk retroperitoneal rhabdomyosarcoma underwent surgery with placement of a bioabsorbable spacer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and then received proton beam therapy of 41.4Gy (relative biological effectiveness) in 23 fractions. In the 41months since PBT, he has survived without local recurrence or signs of renal impairment. This report describes the first-ever case of surgical placement of a bioabsorbable spacer with the aim of preserving renal function during proton beam therapy. Space-making particle therapy is an innovative solution for peritoneal tumors adjacent to the kidneys.

The Scrotal Displacement of the Catheter After Femoral Venous Cutdown: A Neonatal Case Report from Iran

Introduction: One of the most preferred cutdown access sites in neonates is the femoral vein; however, the medical staff should be aware of the associated complications. In this study, we present a case where the displacement of the catheter tip after femoral vein cutdown resulted in a scrotal hematoma. Case Presentation: A neonate with a gestational age of 39 weeks and a birth weight of 3740 grams was born in an academic hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2022. The newborn gradually showed symptoms of respiratory distress and was immediately transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Within the first minutes of NICU admission, the newborn developed acute respiratory distress, and a chest X-ray revealed congenital pneumonia. The patient was promptly intubated, and endotracheal surfactant was administered. Simultaneously, peripheral vascular access was established. On day 3, the vascular access failed, and multiple attempts at percutaneous venipuncture were unsuccessful. A consultation with an expert pediatric surgeon led to the decision to perform a surgical venous cutdown. A 22-gauge catheter was inserted into the external iliac vein through the right femoral access to initiate intravenous fluid and antibiotics. Within the next four hours, the neonate developed right scrotal edema, discoloration, localized erythema, and clear fluid leakage from the right scrotum. Intravenous infusion was urgently clamped. The pediatric surgeon recommended catheter removal, suspecting displacement of the catheter. A sonography examination revealed a hypoechoic 11 × 10 × 4 mm region, indicating a hematoma at the inferior pole of the right testis. The neonate was placed under serial follow-up to monitor vital signs and local manifestations. The patient was managed with conservative treatment and discharged in good condition on the 10th day of NICU admission. Conclusions: The presented case demonstrated scrotal damage following femoral cutdown catheterization. This unexpected complication was effectively managed by the immediate removal of the catheter, close monitoring, conservative therapy, and serial follow-ups, which prevented the progression of local signs. NICU staff should be aware of the potential for testicular injuries in such cases.

Partially oxidized polyvinyl alcohol + functionalized water soluble multiwalled carbon nanotubes: A new conductive nanocomposite material with promising implications for neuroregeneration

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are promising electroconductive nano-scale materials for neuroregeneration. Herein, we report on a new electroconductive composite scaffold made of the polymer 1% oxidized polyvinyl alcohol (OxPVA) combined with functionalized water soluble multiwalled CNT (OxPVA + MWCNT-S) (diazotization reaction). Preliminarily, MWCNT-S were characterized to evaluate the reaction outcome, the degree of functionalization and the dispersibility in water. Thereafter, OxPVA + MWCNT-S nanocomposite membranes were fabricated and analyzed for physicochemical properties (Raman spectroscopy, thermal decomposition, calorimetric properties, electroconductivity), macroscopic appearance and ultrastructure, mechanical behavior, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility. In parallel, OxPVA + MWCNT-S membranes with a linear pattern were also developed and analyzed for interaction with SH-SY5Y cells. Compared to OxPVA, the presence of MWCNT-S (only 0.016 wt%) significantly increased polymer conductivity and imparted a certain porosity without altering mechanical behaviour, as corroborated by uniaxial tensile tests. Neither cytotoxicity nor local signs of inflammation were detected in vitro and after subcutaneous implantation (14 and 42 days), proving composite material biocompatibility. OxPVA + MWCNT-S nanocomposite revealed as promising for future electroconductive conduits free from toxic effects amenable to CNT agglomeration within the polymer. Ideally, nerve lesions with wide gaps, may be effectively supported by those “active” devices, overcoming limitations of the available ones. Despite preliminary data, the presence of a linear pattern confirmed to have a beneficial effect over the scaffold/cells interaction.

Treating Infected Non-Healing Venous Leg Ulcers with Medical-Grade Honey: A Prospective Case Series.

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are hard-to-heal wounds and are prone to microbial colonization. Innovative and improved therapies are thus required to resolve local infection and enhance the wound healing process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of medical-grade honey (MGH) for the treatment of clinically infected and non-healing VLUs. This prospective case series included nine patients with an average age of 83.4 years (range: 75-91 years) with a total of eleven VLUs, previously ineffectively treated with various products. Major risk factors for the appearance of VLUs were chronic venous insufficiency, advanced age, multiple comorbidities (particularly cardiovascular diseases), and impaired mobility. All wounds presented with local signs of infection. Upon presentation, treatment was commenced with a range of MGH-based products (L-Mesitran®). Clinical signs of infection were eliminated by MGH after 2.2 weeks on average (range: 1-4 weeks), and wounds were completely healed after 7 weeks on average (range: 3-18 weeks). No further complications or recurrences were observed. MGH has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and promotes rapid healing, thus improving patients' quality of life. Moreover, MGH-based products are safe, easy to use, cost-effective, and can effectively treat VLUs alone or in combination with standard-of-care therapies.

Safety and tolerability of tirbanibulin ointment 1% treatment on 100 cm2 of the face or scalp in patients with actinic keratosis: A phase 3 study

Tirbanibulin is approved for actinic keratosis (AK) field treatment up to 25cm2. However, AK often affects larger areas; thus, AK treatments for larger fields are needed. Evaluate the safety and tolerability of tirbanibulin when applied to a field of approximately 100cm2. Phase 3, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study among adult patients having a treatment field on the face or balding scalp of approximately 100cm2 with 4-12 AKs. Patients received tirbanibulin to cover the treatment field once daily (5 consecutive days). Safety was assessed by evaluating treatment emergent adverse events and tolerability by composite score of 6 local tolerability signs (LTS). A total of 105 patients were included. The most common LTS were erythema (96.1%) and flaking/scaling (84.4%), being mostly mild-to-moderate severity, and resolved/returned to or close to baseline by Day 29. The only severe LTS were erythema (5.8%) and flaking/scaling (8.7%). Most frequent treatment emergent adverse events were application site pruritus (10.5%) and application site pain (8.6%). Mean total number of AKs decreased from 7.7 AKs at baseline to 1.8 AKs at Day 57. Mean percent of change (reduction) from baseline in lesion count was 77.8% at Day 57. No control group. No long-term follow-up. Safety and tolerability profiles in patients treated with tirbanibulin up to 100cm2 were consistent with those previously reported over smaller field. Tirbanibulin could be used on a larger field (>25cm2).

Oral lesions diagnosed in users of a Buccal Diagnosis Service in a city in Pernambuco: Cross-sectional study

The oral cavity, besides showing variations on its normality standard, it also might express clinical signs of local lesions or clinical signs of systemic diseases which require a specific therapeutic approach. Therefore, the early recognition of oral lesions represents a clinical challenge in Stomatology. Thus, this research aimed to characterize in a qualitative and quantitative way the lesions found in the oral cavity of users of the bucal diagnosis, in the secondary health care, in a pernambucano county. This research is a cross-sectional study carried out between October of 2022 and March of 2023, with patients who required specialized care in bucal diagnosis. Were diagnosed 22 lesions in the sample which was comprised by 45 individuals. The lesions were devided in two groups for a better comprehension of the presentations. In the first group, the lesions with a higher prevalence were fibrous hyperplasia 37% (n=10), followed by denture stomatitis 15% (n=4). In the second group, the lesions with a higher prevalence were leukoplakia 20% (n=4) followed by vacular lesions with the same percentagem. It was concluded that life habits and sociodemographic factors were directly related to some lesions present in the oral cavity. The presence of lesions in the oral cavity, as well as the high tobacco load, of the smoker individuals were related to lesions found in their oral cavity in the physical exam.

The Pragmatics of Gaze Patterns in a Local Family Sign Language from Guatemala

In this study, we document the coordination of eye gaze and manual signing in a local sign language from Nebaj, Guatemala. We analyze gaze patterns in two conversations in which signers described the book Frog Where Are You to an interlocutor. The signers include a deaf child who narrated the book to a hearing interlocutor and her grandfather, who is also deaf, as he described the same book to his hearing grandson during a separate conversation. We code the two narratives for gaze target and sign type, analyzing the relationship between eye gaze and sign type as well as describing patterns in the sequencing of eye gaze targets. Both signers show a strong correlation between sign type and the direction of their eye gaze. As in previous literature, signers looked to a specialized medial space while producing signs that enact the action of characters in discourse in contrast to eye gaze patterns for non-enacting signs. Our analysis highlights both pragmatic–interactional and discursive–narrative functions of gaze. The pragmatic–interactional use of gaze primarily relates to the management of visual attention and turn-taking, while the discursive–narrative use of gaze marks the distinction between narrator and character perspective within stretches of narration.

Phage therapy combined with Gum Karaya injectable hydrogels for treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus deep wound infection in a porcine model

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) represent a significant healthcare challenge, particularly in the context of increasing antibiotic resistance. This study investigates the efficacy of a novel therapeutic approach combining bacteriophage (phage) therapy with a gum Karaya (GK)-based hydrogel delivery system in a porcine model of deep staphylococcal SSTIs. The study exploits the lytic activity and safety of the Staphylococcus phage 812K1/420 of the Kayvirus genus, which is active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The GK injectable hydrogels and hydrogel films, developed by our research group, serve as effective, non-toxic, and easy-to-apply delivery systems, supporting moist wound healing and re-epithelialization. In the porcine model, the combined treatment showed asynergistic effect, leading to a significant reduction in bacterial load (2.5 log CFU/gram of tissue) within one week. Local signs of inflammation were significantly reduced by day 8, with clear evidence of re-epithelialization and wound contraction. Importantly, no adverse effects of the GK-based delivery system were observed throughout the study. The results highlight the potential of this innovative therapeutic approach to effectively treat deep staphylococcal SSTIs, providing a promising avenue for further research and clinical application in the field of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Study of the effect of sodium 2-((4-amino-5-(thiophen-2-ylmethyl)- 4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-yl)thio)acetate toxic doses on rats heart tissue

Analysis of medicinal product safety is an important stage on the way to the entry of a synthetic compound into the pharmaceutical market. Along with the study of blood composition, scientists are actively analyzing the effect of toxic doses on the tissues of internal organs. Analyzing the toxic effect of compounds on heart tissue allows us to find out what damage substances can cause, which can have a direct impact on human health. Today, 1,2,4-triazole derivatives are very relevant and a huge number of publications is a confirmation of this. The aim of the work was to analyze the effect of toxic doses of sodium 2-((4-amino-5-(thiophen-2-ylmethyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-yl)thio)acetate on rats heart tissue. Materials and methods. Sodium 2-((4-amino-5-(thiophen-2-ylmethyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-yl)thio)acetate (ASP) was selected as the subject of investigation and administered intragastrically in the form of a suspension with purified water using a specialized metal probe. The toxic effect on tissues was analyzed using doses of 1000 mg/kg, which is 10 times higher than a single dose typically used in pharmacological activity studies, and 5000 mg/kg, which represents the limit for determining acute toxicity and the maximum dose within the fourth class of toxicity, considering the route of administration, provided that this dose does not result in the death of the animal. Analysis of the effect of toxic doses of ASP was performed on 12-month-old purebred male rats kept under standard conditions. Rat heart tissues were fixed for further histological examination in a 10 % formaldehyde solution, dehydrated in alcohols of increasing strength, and embedded in paraffin. Results. Macroscopic and microscopic analysis of rat heart tissue was carried out. The research shows the histological results of deviations from the norm for a group of rats that were injected with substances in the studied doses. Conclusions. The effect of toxic doses of ASP on rat heart tissue was analyzed. For a dose of 1000 mg/kg, local signs of protein dystrophy of cardiomyocytes and single loci of hemorrhages are observed. As for the dose of 5000 mg/kg, the effect of the substance on the heart tissue is more profound and is determined by the selective damage of cardiomyocytes with the loss of lumbar striation and the acquisition of a wave-like shape, full blood is observed in the ectasized capillaries.

Investigation of the presence of Chlamydia spp., Mycoplasma spp. and Moraxella ovis in infectious keratoconjunctivitis cases in sheep and goats in Siirt province and evaluation of clinical findings

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis is an infectious disease that negatively affects animal welfare causing systemic or local clinical signs in small ruminants and causes significant economic losses in herds. It is important to determine the etiologic agent causing the infection in the development of the protection and control strategies against the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of infectious keratoconjunctivitis cases in small ruminants raised in Siirt province in Türkiye. Infectious keratoconjunctivitis was graded according to the symptoms determined by clinical examination. The presence of Chlamydia spp., Mycoplasma spp. and Moraxella ovis was investigated by PCR in swab samples obtained from the animals with keratoconjunctivitis. Infectious keratoconjunctivitis was detected in 263 (19.86%) of 1324 animals examined in the study. Of the animals with infectious keratoconjunctivitis, 163 (61.97%) were sheep and 100 (38.02%) were goats. The detection rate of infectious keratoconjunctivitis was higher in sheep than goats. In 56 (21.29%), 109 (41.44%), 67 (25.47%), and 31 (11.78%) of the cases, findings of stage 1, 2, 3, and 4 infectious keratoconjunctivitis were detected, respectively. Of the eye swab samples taken from 263 animals with infectious keratoconjunctivitis, 5 (1.90%) were positive for Mycoplasma spp. and 6 (2.28%) were positive for M. ovis. It was determined that the distribution of the bacterial agents varied according to the stage of infectious keratoconjunctivitis. No statistically significant correlation was found in the distribution of bacterial agents among identified samples according to species, sex, age, and infectious keratoconjunctivitis stage of the animals. It was thought that the data obtained in the study would contribute to the studies for protection and control by determining the incidence and aetiology of infectious keratoconjunctivitis cases observed in small ruminants.

Anatomical pattern of entheseal and synovial fibroblast activation in patients with psoriasis and its risk of developing psoriatic arthritis

ObjectivesTo assess the presence and anatomical distribution of activated fibroblasts in the joints and entheses of patients with psoriasis with arthralgia and to test how fibroblast activation visualised by 68gallium-labelled...

A graphical comparison of screening designs using support recovery probabilities

A screening experiment attempts to identify a subset of important effects using a relatively small number of experimental runs. Given the limited run size and a large number of possible effects, penalized regression is a popular tool used to analyze screening designs. In particular, an automated implementation of the Gauss-Dantzig selector has been widely recommended to compare screening design construction methods. Here, we illustrate potential reproducibility issues that arise when comparing two-level screening designs via simulation, and recommend a graphical method, based on screening probabilities, which compares designs by evaluating them along the penalized regression solution path. This method can be implemented using simulation, or, in the case of lasso, by using exact local lasso sign recovery probabilities. Our approach circumvents the need to specify tuning parameters associated with regularization methods, leading to more reliable design comparisons. This article contains Supplementary Materials including code to implement the proposed methods.

Mechanism of acupotomy on chondrocyte ferroptosis in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis based on HSPA5/GPX4 signaling pathway

To observe the effect of acupotomy on heat shock protein A family member 5 (HSPA5)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) signaling pathway in the chondrocytes of the rabbits with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore the mechanism of acupotomy on chondrocyte ferroptosis in KOA. Twenty-seven New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group and an acupotomy group, with 9 rabbits in each group. The left hind limb was fixed by the modified Videman method for 6 weeks to establish KOA model. After modeling, acupotomy was given in the acupotomy group, once a week and for consecutive 3 weeks. Using Lequesne MG score, the local symptoms, physical signs and functions of knee joint were evaluated. With HE staining and saffrane-solid green staining adopted, the morphology of chondrocytes and cartilage tissue was observed. Under transmission electron microscope, the mitochondrial structure of chondrocytes was observed. The iron content of cartilage tissue was detected by iron ion kit. The mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in cartilage tissue were determined by flow cytometry, and the mitochondrial damage rate was calculated. The mRNA expression of HSPA5, GPX4, type Ⅱ collagen α1 chain (COL2A1), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 3 and MMP13 was detected by the real-time quantitative PCR; and the protein expression of HSPA5, GPX4, type Ⅱ collagen (COL-Ⅱ), MMP3 and MMP13 was detected by Western blot. The mean flourscence intensity of HSPA5 and GPX4 in cartilage tissue was determined by immunofluorescence. Before intervention, compared with the normal group, the Lequesne MG scores were increased in the model group and the acupotomy group (P<0.01). After intervention, the Lequesne MG score in the acupotomy group was decreased when compared with that in the model group. In comparison with that in the normal group, the number of chondrocytes was reduced and the cells were disarranged; the layers of cartilage structure were unclear, the tide lines disordered and blurred; the mitochondria were wrinkled and the mitochondrial crista decreased or even disappeared in the model group. Compared with the model group, the number of chondrocytes was increased, the layers of cartilage structure were clear, the tide lines recovered, the number of mitochondria elevated, with normal structure and more crista in the acupotomy group. The iron content of cartilage tissue was increased (P<0.01), the Δψm of chondrocytes was declined, the mitochondrial damage rate was increased (P<0.01), the average fluorescence intensity of ROS was increased (P<0.01); the mRNA and corresponding protein expression of HSPA5, GPX4 and COL2A1 was decreased (P<0.01), the mRNA and protein expression of MMP3 and MMP13 was increased (P<0.01) and the average fluorescence intensity of HSPA5, GPX4 was decreased (P<0.01) in the model group when compared with those in the normal group. Compared with the model group, the iron content in cartilage tissue was reduced (P<0.01), the Δψm of chondrocytes was increased, the mitochondrial damage rate was decreased (P<0.01), and the average fluorescence intensity of ROS was decreased (P<0.01); the mRNA and corresponding protein expression of HSPA5, GPX4 and COL2A1 was higher (P<0.01), and the mRNA and protein expression of MMP3 and MMP13 was lower, and the average fluorescence intensity of HSPA5, GPX4 was increased (P<0.01) in the acupotomy group. Acupotomy can alleviate cartilage injury of KOA rabbits, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of HSPA5/GPX4 signaling pathway to maintain iron homeostasis in articular cartilage, thus inhibiting chondrocyte ferroptosis and relieving extracellular matrix degradation.