A new study published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has concluded that arthroscopic knee surgery for osteoarthritis is not more effective than physical therapy and medical management in relieving pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. The study involved 178 men and women and found that those who received surgery did not have better outcomes than those who only received physical therapy and medicines.

Arthroscopy of the knee is commonly performed to treat moderate to severe osteoarthritis with hundreds of thousands of such surgeries conducted in the US every year. This and other studies call into question the necessity of knee arthroscopy for many thousands of people.

For more information, search for osteoarthritis on the Healia Search Engine or join the Healia Community on Arthritis.