Arthroscopic surgery for knee osteoarthritis? Just say no

摘要

A 52-year-old man comes to your office complaining of ongoing knee pain-pain that he knows is related to his osteoarthritis (OA). The patient does not want a total knee replacement, and it's unlikely that his arthritis is extensive enough to warrant it. You wonder whether he's a potential candidate for arthroscopic knee surgery and if the lavage and articular cartilage debridement the procedure entails would alleviate his symptoms.