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Arthroscopy as a treatment for knee osteoarthritis

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Since surfaces become irregular and debris from cartilage and meniscus gets released into the joint cavity of osteoarthritic joints, washing away this debris and attendant crystals, smoothing rough surfaces and repairing tears might help patients with disease. Such interventions are accomplished during an arthroscopy, when a fibre-optic endoscope and surgical instruments are inserted into the knee. While initial uncontrolled case series suggested that arthroscopy alleviated pain in patients with osteoarthritis, large randomised trials have suggested that arthroscopy has a limited role as a treatment of osteoarthritis.

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Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which a fibre-optic endoscope is inserted into the joint through a small incision. The surgeon makes a second incision through which to insert the surgical instruments to debride or resect areas within the knee by visualising under the scope. Various treatments can be delivered by arthroscopy, and different elements of treatment might well determine the efficacy of the arthroscopy in osteoarthritis. The possibilities include the

Evidence on efficacy of arthroscopy in osteoarthritis

For many years, arthroscopy was commonly performed to treat knee osteoarthritis – a process including lavage of the joint and debridement of roughened surfaces with removal of loose debris. Meniscal tears were often resected or repaired as part of this process. Uncontrolled case series suggested that arthroscopy was effective, with improvements lasting 1 year or more. In the largest and perhaps the most comprehensive of these studies, Aaron and colleagues [1] studied 122 patients, of whom 110

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