Arthroscopic knee surgery not superior to conservative treatments in knee OA, claims study
Arthroscopic knee surgery not superior to conservative treatments in knee OA suggests a new study published in the BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by the progressive breakdown of joint cartilage, leading to joint pain, stiffness, and functional impairment. It is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide.
Studies comparing the effectiveness of arthroscopic knee surgery and conservative treatment of BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders knee osteoarthritis (OA) came up with inconsistent results. A systematic review on this topic still is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopic knee surgery on knee OA, compared to conservative treatments. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before on 1st July 2024. Studies were included comparing the effectiveness of arthroscopy and conservative treatments only on knee OA. The quality of the included studies was evaluated by the risk of bias 2 (ROB2). Long-term results in terms of pain relief, functional recovery, and patient satisfaction were meta-analyzed to evaluate therapeutic effectiveness. RESULTS
Ten studies were included in this review, among which only 1 was considered as low risk of bias. Five studies were involved in meta-analyses and no difference was found in therapeutic effectiveness of arthroscopic surgery and conservative treatment on knee OA, in the evaluation of VAS (p = 0.63), WOMAC (p = 0.38), SF-36 (p = 0.74) and patient satisfaction (p = 0.07). The evidence does not support the effectiveness of arthroscopic knee surgery compared to conservative treatments in knee OA.
Reference:
Zhang, Zhong, et al. "Arthroscopic Surgery Is Not Superior to Conservative Treatment in Knee Osteoarthritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trails." BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, vol. 25, no. 1, 2024, p. 712.
