Arthroscopic surgery for knee osteoarthritis can include several different procedures ranging from lavage (flushing and suctioning debris from a joint) to debridement (trimming damaged cartilage and bone spurs). Some surgeons treat the bone itself with abrasion or microfracture to stimulate the growth of new cartilage. To assess the effectiveness of arthroscopic surgery, three studies involving 271 patients were analyzed and the review was published in the Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration.
The largest of the three studies compared arthroscopic debridement with lavage and sham surgery. The three treatments produced similar results in pain and physical function after 2 years. Even so, reviewers felt that arthroscopic debridement was not inappropriate for every patient -- it could improve comfort and mobility in certain patients. According to Scott Zashin, MD, a rheumatologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, "The only patients I typically consider for arthroscopic surgery are those with mild to moderate disease and mechanical symptoms in the knee." Those symptoms can occur when fragments of cartilage interfere with the joint -- causing popping, locking, or knee buckling. Future research on larger groups of patients comparing several arthroscopic techniques should be more useful. Until then, arthroscopic debridement remains an option for some osteoarthritis patients.
Related Resources:
- Osteoarthritis Treatments
- What Is Joint Replacement Surgery?
- Arthroscopy: What You Need to Know
- Osteotomy: What You Need to Know
- Knee Osteoarthritis - Common Treatments Lack Scientific Support
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