As the baby boomer generation ages, more individuals are experiencing joint problems and arthritis. Traditionally, sufferers of severe knee joint arthritis have been offered arthroscopy surgery in an attempt to lessen the severity of the arthritis symptoms, and increase the range of motion in the joint. But new research conducted in Canada suggests that there is no real benefit to undergoing surgery for knee arthritis, and less invasive methods provide better results for arthritis sufferers.
Arthroscopy surgery attempts to remove loose fragments of cartilage from the joint and smooth out the ball-hinge surface to provide a greater range of motion. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to date that this somewhat radical technique has any positive long-term benefits for knee arthritis.
The University of Western Ontario conducted a study utilizing a test group of 178 individuals suffering with knee arthritis. The average age of the participants was 60, and the group was almost evenly divided between men and women.
In the study, all participants were provided with physiotherapy and painkilling medication, but half of the group also underwent knee surgery. Researchers found that the group which underwent surgery fared no better than the group which received just physiotherapy and painkillers.
While doctors involved in the research were quick to point out that Athroscopic surgery is still recommended for certain joint conditions, including severe osteoarthritis which can effectively “lock” the knee in position, it shows no benefit for common arthritis problems.
Actually, this type of joint surgery has become less and less frequent over the past few decades, because of the lack of hard evidence that it is effective against common knee arthritis. The surgery is also quite expensive, and because it requires several insertions to be made in the knee, it can lead to complications or a worsening of the arthritis symptoms in some cases.
But until the Canadian research, there had never been clear evidence that arthritis knee surgery showed no benefits at all. The BBC reports that the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is now discouraging doctors from performing the operation. The UK Arthritis Research Campaign has also stated that there is, “no longer any excuse for performing it,” and are advising arthritis patients against the surgery.
In the U. S., the medical establishment is also taking a hard look at the Canadian research. The American Medical Association has yet to issue a formal statement on the matter, but it seems likely the AMA will also come out against the use of Arthroscopic surgery in all but the most severe cases of knee arthritis.
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