Pizhen

is one of the ancient nine needles recorded in

Lingshu

(

Miraculous Pivot

)

used for pricking pus initially; and it is extensively operated to treat sores and ulcers in the later dynasties. Since the Song and Ming dynasties

there were the changes in the material

form and application scope of

pizhen

in surgery. By analyzing the representative surgery works

it was found that there were four kinds of

pizhen

in its evolution

including sword-like needle

triangle-like needle

willow-leaf-like needle and slant type. The action scope was expanded

removing carbuncle

draining pus and cutting off masses and rotten muscles besides pricking pus

blood and harmful fluids. Since the introduction of surgical technology

pizhen

almost disappeared in surgery. The paper analyzes the evolution routes of this ancient needle and its influence factors from the perspective of knowledge development. It is summarized that the development of

pizhen

is related to the approaches to the knowledge production of acupuncture-moxibustion and its inheritance

the limitation of the dissemination of

pizhen

technique and lack of theoretical derivation.