Researchers at the University of Western Ontario and the Lawson Health Research Institute in Canada say that the knee surgery doesn't reduce joint symptoms or improve its function as compared to nonsurgical treatment.
The study of about 200 men and women in the London, Ont., area found those who had arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee - a degenerative condition that causes joint pain and stiffness - showed no greater improvement in symptoms two years out than those who received physiotherapy and drugs alone.
The participants were on average 60 years old and all of them were provided with physical therapy as well as medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Arthroscopic surgery was provided to 86 of the patients. They were then tracked for two years to assess the severity of their osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a degenerative condition that causes joint pain and stiffness. Arthroscopic surgery is the most popular method for treating osteoarthritis of the knee where the surgeon makes a small incision to insert a thin, flexible fiber-optic scope and other small instruments into the knee joint.
The optics then replaces the pieces of cartilage and smooths the joint surfaces. The procedure is also used to repair other knee problems. That's according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
