Published: May 2019. Next review: 2023.
Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee often have arthroscopy of the joint. Strong evidence shows that arthroscopy is not clinically beneficial for patients over the age of 50, regardless of the presence of osteoarthritis.
Conservative management is recommended in the first instance. This includes:
- patient education
- support for weight loss
- exercise advice
- pharmacological management of symptoms.
Conservative management mitigates the impact of inappropriate surgical interventions on patients, such as the risks associated with anaesthesia, potential post-operative complications and recovery time.
Strategies to encourage appropriate surgical practices
Use these strategies to further strengthen local clinical practice and to minimise potentially inappropriate knee arthroscopy procedures.
- Multidisciplinary consultation and peer review
- Clear definition and reinforcement of patient selection criteria
- Local implementation of existing position statements and guidelines
- Education, training and mentoring
- Local data audit and review
- Alignment of strategies with established programs.
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