Stay Healthy

A new study - that was published in the September 11th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine - shows that an arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis in the knee may have absolutely no benefits to contribute for medical of physical therapy or recovery.

178 men and women were asked to participate in the study. Everyone of them underwent the surgery. None of them showed any improvement than those who just received medication and physical therapy only.

The non-operative treatments include only one physical therapy session every week for a total of three months with patient education, a physical therapy program, and the use of acetaminophen. The surgery on the other hand involves making small incisions in the knee, inserting an arthroscope to see the joint, and then cleansing the joint.

This study was really a follow up of a 2002 study which revealed that operations were no better than a sham procedure for arthritis. But it didn’t come out as credible because all the operations involved in the study were done by one surgeon, and the subjects, who were all men, tended to be older than the typical patient. As a result, many surgeons continued to perform the procedures.

The research was conducted by Brian Feagan of the University of Western Ontario. Feagan admitted however that knee surgeries may still be needed by other patients with other problems such as a badly torn ligament or cartilage.