Arthroscopic Procedures for Osteoarthritic Knee

ABSTRACT

The arthroscopic procedure has been one of the useful treatment modalitis in osteoarthritis of the knee, which does not respond to conservative treatment. Authors reviewed the resuJts of 61cases of 61 patients(18 males and 43 females) that had been treated with arthroscopic procedures including arthroscopic simple )avage, partial menisectomy, removal of the loose bodies, synovectomy and chondroplasty. The purpose of this study is to evaluate indication and effectiveness of arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritic knee. 1. Seventy-one percent of sixty-one patients had relief of pain and other clinical symptoms after arthroscopic procedures. 2. Sixty-one pereent were still good at last follow-up more, than one year. 3. The favorable results were obtained after removal of loose bodies or partial menisectomy in association with osteoarthritic knee cornpared with the other procedures. And the poor results were obtained in patients with severe degenerative changes and severe cartilage defects of both femoral condyles. 4. The normal-alignment knees had much better results after arthroscopic surgery compared with valgus or varus knees. Our results suggest that arthroscopic surgery can be one of the good alternative treatment methods for osteoarthritic knee and a time-saving procedure before arthroplastic surgery.