There is a small and inconsequential benefit associated with arthroscopy for the degenerative knee in middle-aged or older patients, according to a study in The BMJ.
Here are six things to know:
1. Researchers conducted systematic searches for benefits and harms recorded in studies published on Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to August 2014.
2. Through the search, nine trials were identified assessing the benefits of knee arthroscopic surgery in middle aged and older patients.
3. The study found that there was a small difference in favor of interventions including arthroscopic surgery compared with control treatments for pain.
4. The difference corresponds to a benefit of 2.4 mm on a 0-100 mm visual analogue scale.
5. No significant benefit on physical function was found.
6. Thus, "these findings do not support the practice of arthroscopic surgery for middle aged or older patients with knee pain with or without signs of osteoarthritis," noted study authors.
