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Arthroscopy for knee OA did not reduce or delay the need for TKA
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Arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis offered no benefit in reducing or delaying the need for total knee arthroplasty compared with conservative treatment, according to a recently published study.
“However, arthroscopy had a greater ability to relieve symptoms at 1 and 2 years. Our results suggest that arthroscopy can relieve symptoms up to 2 years without elevating the risk of arthroplasty,” the authors wrote.
Researchers identified patients with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 to 4 knee OA. Of these patients, 214 patients underwent arthroscopy and 168 patients underwent conservative treatment. At 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 5 years after the initial treatment, investigators collected the WOMAC total score. Investigators also recorded the number of patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty at each time point.
Results showed that after 5 years, 32 patients who initially underwent arthroscopy and 30 patients who underwent conservative treatment underwent TKA, although these differences were not statistically significant. Investigators noted, patients who underwent arthroscopy vs. those who underwent conservative treatment had a significantly lower WOMAC score after 1 year and 2 years. However, at 3, 4 and 5 years, there were no significant differences between the treatment groups. – by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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