First author (y)	Intervention		Start time		Acupuncture points	Needle retaining time	Intervention Dose
	AG	CG	AG	CG
Liao et al. (16)	Analgesia drugs, routine rehabilitation, traditional manual acupuncture	Analgesia drugs, routine rehabilitation	From 2 d before surgery to post-operative 2 w		LI4 and LR3 in both sides	30 min	Once/d, 2w
Wang (17)	Analgesia pump, traditional manual acupuncture	Analgesia pump	2 d after operation		BL36, LR3, BL37, SP10, SP9, GB34	Not mentioned.	Once/d, 2w
Zhang et al. (18)	Analgesia pump, routine rehabilitation, traditional manual acupuncture	Analgesia pump, routine rehabilitation	1 d after operation		LR3, BL 60, KI3, BL 62, SP6 and SI3 in the operated side; LU5, LI11, and LI10 in both sides	30 min	Once/d, 2w
Petersen et al. (24)	Standard rehabilitation, western medical acupuncture	Standard rehabilitation	(2.2 ± 1.3) w after operation	(2.4 ± 1.6) w after operation	ST32, GB31, GB39, ST41, and LR3 in the operated side; SP10, ST34, LR8, SP9, and ST36 in the opposite side	15 20 min	Twice/w, 6w
Mikashima et al. (19)	Basic rehabilitation program, traditional manual acupuncture	Basic rehabilitation program	7 d after operation		ST31, 32, 38; SP6; BL-23, 25, 37, 57, 60; KI3; GB31,39, 40, 41, 42, and LR3 in the operated side	20 30 min	3 times/w, 2w
Chen et al. (20)	Auricular acupuncture and electroacupuncture	Only sham auricular acupuncture	Anesthetized and right before surgery started.		Auricular acupoints: TF4, AH4, AH6a and AT4; acupuncture points: SP10, ST34, BL40, LR7, ST36, GV20, and GV24	20 min	1session only
Tsang et al. (25)	Standard physiotherapy program and traditional manual acupuncture	Standard physiotherapy program and sham acupuncture	4 d after operation		ST32, ST33, GB31, GB35, GB34 and ST36	20 min	10 sessions within 2w
Mayoral et al. (21)	Dry needling	Sham dry needling	Anesthetized and right before surgery started.		Myofascial trigger points	Hong's fast-in, fast-out technique	1 session only
Wang (22)	Standard physiotherapy program and traditional manual acupuncture	Standard physiotherapy program.	3 d after operation		ST34, 35, 36, 41; SP10, SP9, GB33,34; LI4, BL40, EX-LE5	30 min	Twice/w, 6w