Arthroscopic Treatment for Osteoarthritic Knee

that the role of arthroscopy in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee is to allow identification and treatment of a local lesion while preserving the joint, which is accepted by most authors.Arthroscopic procedures for osteoarthritis of the knee include lavage, partial meniscectomy, chondroplasty, synovectomy, removal of loose body, removal of offending osteophytes, and adhesiolysis, which are performed in a proper combination according to the articular lesion type.Arthroscopic treatment can be a good option for patients who want to delay arthroplasty to maintain some level of activities in that it has low morbidity and allows for future reconstruction.However, there is a controversy regarding the efficacy of the treatment, which we will discuss in this review article [2][3][4] . Arthroscopic DebridementArthroscopic debridement was first introduced for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee by Sprague 5) in 1981 and has been used for short-term symptom relief although its long-term efficacy ranges from 45% to 76% 6) .Arthroscopic debridement consists of lavage, removal of loose body, partial meniscectomy, chondroplasty, synovectomy, removal of offending osteophytes, adhesiolysis, and joint insufflation.These procedures are helpful for short-term symptom relief in early arthritis, but ineffective for halting the progression of the disorder.