Application of the <italic>International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Rehabilitation Set</italic> in Rehabilitation of Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis in Northwest Gobi Region

<bold>Objective</bold> To explore the feasibility of the <italic>International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Rehabilitation Set</italic> (ICF-RS) in evaluating the overall functional level, rehabilitation treatment effects, and the relationship between rehabilitation efficacy and cost-effectiveness of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in the northwest Gobi region. <bold>Methods</bold> A total of 50 patients with KOA who were hospitalized in the Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department of Jimsar County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March 2022 to March 2023 were selected. A total of eight cases discontinued or dropped out due to comprehension deviation and low assessment compliance, and finally 42 cases were included. Personalized rehabilitation programs were formulated according to the severity of functional disorders referring to the "<italic>Clinical Practice Guidelines of Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation for Knee Osteoarthritis</italic>". The treatment was conducted once a day, six days a week for two weeks. The ICF-RS was used to evaluate the overall functional level, rehabilitation efficacy and rehabilitation treatment costs. <bold>Results</bold> The main body functional impairments of patients with KOA were b280 pain sensation, b455 exercise tolerance, b130 energy and drive function, and b134 sleep function in sequence; the main activity limitations were d410 changing basic body postures, d455 moving around, and d415 maintaining a body posture; the main participation dysfunctions were d850 remunerative employment and d920 recreation and leisure. There was no statistically significant difference in the composition ratio of the frequency of the limit values in all categories of ICF-RS (except d240 handling stress and other psychological needs) between Han and ethnic minority patients with KOA (<italic>P</italic>&gt;0.05). The ICF-RS assessment results showed that, all categories of the body function, activities and participation in patients with KOA increased significantly after treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.001), and the overall improvement rate was 100%. The total rehabilitation cost of patients with KOA was (2 165.44±783.79) yuan, with an average rehabilitation expenditure of 245.09 yuan for each one-point improvement in overall functional score. <bold>Conclusion</bold> The ICF-RS can be used to evaluate the overall functional status of patients with KOA in the northwest Gobi region, guide clinical rehabilitation treatment and evaluate the rehabilitation medical expenditure for patients with KOA.